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Smoke rises following a Fire at Emergency Unit of Tembisa Hospital.
Residents of Tembisa believe more people need to be arrested in connection with the recent arson incidents at the Tembisa Hospital in Ekurhuleni.
A 48-year-old man, Thembinkosi Manqunyana, appeared in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court today where his case was postponed to next week.
He was arrested two weeks ago after he allegedly confessed to torching sections of the hospital.
Residents believe more people are involved in the incidents.
“We not only awaiting him to face the music, (but) also the other people that worked close with him. The coin has two sides. Obviously, he was not working alone. Why did they do that? What was the cause? What was the major thing of burning the hospital? Why did he choose the hospital out of all the institutions that are here in Tembisa?” asks one of the residents.
An attempted murder charge was added to Manqunyana’s charge sheet. He also faces another charge of damage to essential infrastructure.
His lawyer Xolani Pangwa, says, “Well, the onus is on the state to prove all those charges. They can put any. They can add as many as they want, but as long as they are sure that they are going to prove. In a criminal matter, the state has got the duty to prove everyone guilty. Not for the accused person to prove himself innocent.”
