Father and young daughter die in Khutsong South shack fire
The incident has left residents traumatised and raised renewed concerns about the poor living conditions in the area, including the lack of infrastructure and delays in housing delivery.
A devastating shack fire claimed the lives of a 29-year-old father and his three-year-old daughter in the transitional housing area of Khutsong South on Friday night, July 4.
According to shocked neighbours, the fire broke out around 23:00. One resident recalled hearing people shouting that a fire had started. “I was not yet asleep when I heard the commotion. I went outside, saw the shack in flames, and started screaming for help,” said a neighbour of the deceased, Benny Itumeleng Senyahla.
Community members quickly alerted emergency services and tried to extinguish the blaze themselves, but it was already burning out of control.
Neighbours said Senyahla’s girlfriend had been at the scene but allegedly told them no one was inside the shack. Only after the structure began to collapse did residents realise that someone was trapped inside.
Tragically, the charred remains of Senyahla were found shortly thereafter. The following morning, around 05:00, police forensic experts combing through the debris discovered the body of his three-year-old daughter, Onkarabile.
“Only God knows what happened,” said Senyahla’s grieving cousin, Obakeng Senyahla. “I was shocked when I heard he had died. He was like my twin brother. Benny was very friendly but could become angry when he had been drinking.”
Khutsong detectives are currently investigating the cause of the fire. By the time of publication, Nico Kahts, the manager of Emergency Management Services for the West Rand District Municipality, had not yet confirmed the cause of the blaze.
Residents say the tragedy has left the community traumatised. Those living in the transitional housing area continue to face serious challenges, including the lack of proper roads, illegal electricity connections, and delays in the delivery of low-cost housing. Many residents claim to have lived in the area for over 15 years despite applying for RDP houses long ago.
When asked about the ongoing infrastructure issues in the area, Merafong City Local Municipality’s communications manager, Temba Fezani, did not respond by the time of publication.
