Joburg fire: Dying in agony in a city-owned deathtrap

'They would have no idea what they were up against': Retired firefighter on Joburg fire rescue effort

View Online Good Morning, SA A series of systemic failures over many years by various administrations law enforcement, including SAPS and immigration enforcement officers, resulted in the building being hijacked and illegally occupied, with dangerous illegal electricity and water connections amid harsh overcrowded conditions. A former city official told News24 that the building had been condemned – meaning no one was supposed to live in it. Here are your top stories for Friday, 1 September. KELLY ANDERSON, AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Joburg fire: Dying in agony in a city-owned deathtrap The background: 80 Albert Street – owned by the City of Johannesburg - was hijacked by slumlords and turned into an overcrowded deathtrap years before a massive fire claimed 74 lives.   What's more: Hundreds of people were crammed into small partitions and in shacks in the basement of the building.    What else: There has been little explanation from city officials about why the building was still illegally occupied, despite it being known to be unsafe for years. Read the full story ON THE RECORD | Opposition expects a changing of the guard, but the ANC says, 'trust us' The story: The future of SA politics was discussed at News24's On The Record summit in Johannesburg on Thursday.   The details: While opposition parties predict a changing of the guard in next year's election, the ANC is satisfied it has been "able to perform".   What else: Also discussed was the protection of whistleblowers and the urgent need for the NPA Amendment Bill to be enacted. Read the full story 'They would have no idea what they were up against': Retired firefighter on Joburg fire rescue effort The story: More than 70 bodies have been retrieved from the hijacked building that caught fire in the Johannesburg CBD.   What happened: A retired firefighter said that emergency services would have faced a daunting task trying to extinguish the blaze.   What else: Some of the victims reportedly jumped from the building, emergency services have said. Read the full story News for You ENERGY Two more emergency power projects inch closer to rollout An additional two emergency procurement projects have signed legal agreements with government, two years after they were first named preferred bidders. NEWS Joburg fire: City still investigating what caused blaze that killed 74 Officials have yet to determine what caused the blaze which ripped through a hijacked building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, killing at least 74 people. NEWS WhatsApp voice note leads to conviction of Operation Dudula member who incited violence A Durban man part of the infamous Operation Dudula group has been convicted of inciting violence after he sent a voice note on WhatsApp calling for the removal of foreign nationals from the city CBD. We are not a failing people. We are better than our leaders Three opposition party leaders revealed during the News24 On the Record summit on Thursday that they are profoundly disillusioned about South Africa's future prospects. Qaanitah Hunter argues that this is not the kind of attitude we need if the country is going to make it. QAANITAH HUNTER Meanwhile, in the rest of the world Niger's military rulers said they no longer recognised the diplomatic immunity of France's ambassador and his family, and ordered the police to throw him out of the country if necessary. Italy is worried that military action to reverse the Niger coup could cause a new wave of migrants to head its way.   Journalists in fellow coup-hit country Gabon aren't being allowed to do their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists fears.   Algeria's coastguard reportedly killed two holiday-making jet-skiers from Morocco who unwittingly crossed the maritime border.   Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to trying to overturn his election loss in Georgia, the criminal case that earned him that famous mugshot.   Paris fumigated for mosquitoes for the first time, as it – and other parts of Europe far, far from the tropics – battle dengue-carrying Asian tiger mosquitoes.   And America's envoy to Japan had a nice Fukushima fish lunch, and threw some insults about water purity China's way, as the fight about nuclear-plant water release and seafood rumbled on.   Must-read in lifestyle ON THE RECORD | Jake shrugs off fierce backlash of Boks' 7-1 tactic: 'Nature of the beast' The backlash in the international rugby media this week against the Boks' decision to employ an unconventional 7-1 bench split against the All Blacks appears fierce, but don't misinterpret it as anti-South African sentiment. Read more 'Most families are bound not just by blood but by secrets': Abraham Verghese on his The Covenant of Water From Abraham Verghese comes a stunning and magisterial new epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret. Verghese, who is also a talented physician, talks about The Covenant of Water, and where he drew inspiration from for this masterful novel. Read more Polycystic ovarian syndrome: Expert talks signs and symptoms Dr Bradley Wagemaker says it's common for women with PCOS to "suffer in silence", believing what they're going through is normal. Read more Wolvaardt excited to lead Proteas women on maiden Pakistan voyage: 'It's new for all of us' The Proteas women are back in action for the first time since their historic T20 Women's World Cup final loss as they tour Pakistan in three T20Is and three ODIs. Read more LISTEN | Joburg fire: Death toll climbs to more than 70, and counting. 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