NONDIPHIWE Nyaba (54) is grieving and in pain.
Her daughter Emihle Nyaba (19) and her nephew Sandisile Mangali (15) died in a fire on Saturday, 17 December.
The incident happened at about 3am when electricity came back since there had been load shedding.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Nondiphiwe said what pains Nondiphiwe is that Emihle is the one who woke her up telling her that there was a fire.
She said the teens were sleeping in the dining room when the incident happened.
Nondiphiwe and the two deceased teenagers were sleeping in their RDP house.
The fire started at the two-roomed shack that was at the back of the RDP house and spread.
“Emihle woke me up saying there was a fire, so I came out running. I thought she was outside, but I only heard her screaming for help from inside the RDP house while I was already outside. When I went out I couldn’t see because there was too much smoke,” she said.
Nondiphiwe’s aunt Nokhumbuzo Majola (68) said residents had to hold the mother so that she would not run back into the already gutted RDP house as she wanted to go help Emihle and Sandisile.
Majola said: “Residents held her as she was trying to run back. Our worry is that she was going to burn as well, and there was nothing that she could do.”
Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the incident.
“Philippi East police responded to a complaint in the early hours of Saturday, 17 December. Upon arrival in lower Crossroads, they found a shack in flames. When the fire was extinguished by fire and rescue, they recovered the bodies of a 17-year-old female and a 15-year-old boy, who sustained fatal injuries. The victims were declared dead on the scene by the medical personnel. Philippi East police registered an inquest for further investigation. Anyone with information is kindly requested to call CrimeStop on 08600 10111,” said Swartbooi.
