The woman who allegedly started the fire at a building on Nugget Street in the Joburg CBD, Bonisiwe Gumede, appeared briefly at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court today. The court gallery was filled with angry family members of the deceased who said they felt that postponements in the matter were prolonging their grieving process.

Msongelwa Mnisi, the uncle of one of the deceased, Sizwe Cele, said the process of waiting for DNA results was a daunting one for the families. 

DNA swabs were taken from one of Cele's siblings to confirm his identity before his remains are released to the family for burial. "We had hoped that the forensics department would have released the results so we can start preparing for my nephew's burial. Weeks later, we are still waiting." Msongelwa described the waiting process as traumatic. "This thing is torturing us because we want closure, we've tried to beg for a quicker process and the investigating officer promised that we will get the results soon. We can't bear this any longer." He said as a family, they are against the notion of the accused getting bail, but they have no choice but to let the law take its course even though they have little faith in the system.

The accused, who appeared for the third time in court, and now has a defence in a form of Legal Aid has been verified by the department of Home Affairs as a South African citizen. However, the matter was postponed so that the addresses and phone numbers provided by Gumede can be verified for formal bail application. Her arrest came after witnesses claimed that she started the fire at the hijacked Express Building on corner Nugget and Commissioner streets, In Joburg CBD, after a heated argument with her boyfriend. Two people lost their lives in the fire. She faces two counts of murder and a charge of arson.