TEMBISA HOSPITAL ARSON SUSPECT FINGERS HEAD OF SECURITY

April blazes disrupted vital hospital services and endangered lives

- SIFISO MAHLANGU

A MAN accused of setting two devastating fires at Tembisa Hospital has confessed to the crime and implicated the facility's head of security, raising serious concerns about a potential cover-up linked to a major corruption probe.

The suspect, Thembinkosi Manqunyana, 48, appeared in the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on Monday, where he was formally charged with arson. His arrest marks a dramatic turn in the ongoing investigation into the April blazes that disrupted vital hospital services and endangered lives.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that Manqunyana confessed to starting two fires at the hospital one on April 19 in the Accident and Emergency Unit, and another four days later.

The second fire caused widespread damage, leaving outpatients and chronic patients without essential care for days.

According to a confidential police report handed to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Manqunyana provided a detailed statement outlining the planning, procurement of petrol, execution, and alleged payment arrangement behind the arson.