EMMANUEL Mahangula will never forget 31 August in his life.
It was the day he lost his two best friends and homeboys from Malawi.
Emmanuel said that on Friday 1 September, his friends, of whom he only knew the names, Mafo and Saeedi, were among the people who perished in the fire.
A total of 76 people died and 52 were injured when a fire broke out in a building in the Joburg CBD on Thursday morning, 31 August.
"I thank God that I survived. What I saw on that fateful day was a tragedy. People were screaming and running in all directions. I managed to find a way out while the building was on fire," Emmanuel said.
He said his friend Saeedi was burnt beyond recognition and his charred body was still in bed.
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"We had to bury him on Thursday, with the help of the Muslim communities. He was a handyman, a builder, and on that day, he was so tired that he slept and did not even hear the cries of the people.
"I went out to identify his body and it was painful and horrible to see some of his body parts piled up," he said.
Emmanuel said Mafo fell from the third floor and died at the scene.
He said Saeedi was like a mentor and brother to him.
"He bought me stock to sell fruits and vegetables on the street. Saeedi was a handyman who always encouraged me to save money and stay positive," Emmanuel said.
He said he lost all his stock and the money he had saved was also burnt.
Emmanuel said he is appealing to everyone to help him with clothes.
He said his brother lived in Pretoria, but he did not know where he lived.
Another survivor, Edith Banda (28), said the incident was traumatic.
"I escaped with minor injuries. It was painful to see people die in the fire. When I was outside, I heard people screaming for help. Unfortunately, the flames were too big so they couldn’t get out."
