VICTIMS of the fire that engulfed a hijacked building said they recall hearing a woman allegedly threatening to burn her flat.
The two-storey hijacked building on Commissioner and Nugget streets in the inner city of Joburg was engulfed in flames on Sunday, 21 January, killing two people - a man and a woman.
It was reported that the fire was a result of a quarrel between a couple who lived in the building. Unfortunately, when the fire broke out, the two deceased, who lived on the same floor as the couple, died. One of the victims was confirmed to be Sizwe Cele (35).
Running for their lives
One of the tenants, Serialong Ralonya (30) from Lesotho, said the fire was so massive she only made it out with just her pants and her six-month-old baby, leaving her partner behind.
“The flames were big. I remember taking a bag thinking it had my passport only to find that it didn't. At that point I couldn't go back because the fire was massive.
"When I ran out with the child, I left my partner inside the building. He jumped from the top floor all the way to the ground where he injured himself. He was then rushed to hospital where he was treated and later discharged,” she said.
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Without her passport, Serialong said she is worried as she has no where to go.
Serialong was not the only one who made it out of the fire alive.
Boitumelo Maribe (28) from Lesotho said she escaped the fire with just a fleece blanket, which was wrapped around her waist. She was among the many who confirmed that the fire was a result of a quarrel between a couple.
Threats were not a joke
According to Serialong, she heard a woman at about 4am shouting that she was going to burn the flat down. At the time Serialong thought the woman was joking until they realised that the building was indeed on fire.
It's unclear what the couple was arguing about, but Serialong said she heard screams of the lady threatening to burn the flat
When Daily Sun entered the burnt building on Monday, 22 January, burnt clothes, cellphones, shoes and books lay on the wet floor with pillars being only thing keeping the building upright.
Serialong confirmed that the building was not safe and that they used masonite boards to divide the rooms. She said they relied heavily on gas to cook.
“We had no choice. I only got to know about this place through my relatives who recommended it. We even lived for free,” she said.
A heartbroken family
Trying to make sense of what happened, Sizwe’s uncle, Msongelwa Mnisi said his nephew died too soon.
While he was unsure of how Sizwe ended up living in a hijacked building, Msongelwa said his nephew was only looking for greener postures.
“His father was from KZN and was in the taxi industry, so when he passed away, Sizwe also had an interest in the taxi industry which is why he came here in the hopes of greener pastures. He worked as a taxi marshal and lived around the city. But I can't say how long he lived in this specific building,” said Msongelwa.
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He said he found out about the fire late on Sunday and rushed immediately from Pretoria to Joburg.
“We were told that they died in a fire that was caused by a woman who was trying to burn her partner alive. As the family, we are devastated. His two siblings are finding it even more hard to accept what happened,” he said.
Msongelwa detailed how it was impossible to identify his body when they visited the government mortuary as he was burnt beyond recognition.
Officials to the rescue
Emergency Management Services spokeswoman Nana Radebe-Kgiba said when they arrived at the scene, the fire had spread quickly, affecting different levels of the building because of the flammable material.
“Two people jumped from the second flood and three people were rescued from the balcony. Four people were rushed to medical facilities for medial care,” she said.
The woman believed to have started the fire has since been arrested, while her partner’s whereabouts are unknown.
Gauteng police spokeswoman Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said a 30-year-old woman was arrested and is expected to appear before the Joburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 23 January on charges of arson, murder and attempted murder.
Meanwhile, City of Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda confirmed that those who have been affected by the fire were "temporarily" relocated to a nearby sports ground with water tankers and 10 ablution facilities.
To date, the city has identified 28 Lesotho foreign nationals, four Tanzanians and two Zimbabweans who were affected by the fire.
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