BORN together, they almost died together yesterday morning.
Seven-year-old twins Mayibongwe and Siyabonga Ncube escaped burning to death in a fire in their Joburg CBD, flat which was apparently caused by an electrical fault.
The boys were trapped in the burning flat but luckily, a neighbour broke down the door and rescued them.
Their mum Sikhathele told Daily Sun: “I stepped out for a short while to get food. When I came back, the flat was on fire.”
She said the kids told her the fire started under the bed. “There’s a plug there that’s always sparking. We fixed it and thought it was OK but clearly it wasn’t.”
Sikhathele said when she left the kids, no appliances were on and they were looking at their school books.
She said she was grateful the neighbour, who escaped with minor injuries, was there to save the day.
Emergency services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said the cause of the fire was being investigated.
A member of the building’s body corporate told Daily Sun there have been a number of electric problems.
“Owners who bought units here don’t live here anymore. Some are living in Cape Town and others in Polokwane.”
She said residents complained their landlords did not maintain the flats and accused the owners of not taking responsibility for maintenance issues.
