Man dies in shack fire
One person died when 10 shacks burnt to ashes in Winnie Mandela Section during the early hours of Saturday morning last week.
It is believed one of the tenants left a burning candle unattended in his shack when he went to the toilet.
“When I woke up, there were people screaming outside. That is when I realised my shack was on fire. I grabbed my trousers and ran for my life,” said Mr Njgiobuth Gaza, who was asleep when the fire began.
He said all he had in his life was burnt in the shack.
“I am left with only the clothes I am wearing. All my belongings, including my ID and money, were burnt. I don’t know where to start,” he said.
Ms Lydia Sibiya, a family member, said she was concerned with what happened during the blaze.
“What worries us is the fact that some residents chased the firefighters away when they arrived. They could have helped to extinguish the fire, and who knows, perhaps they could have saved the life of the person who died in the fire,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Tembisa SAPS Cluster communications director, Captain Manyadza Ralidzhivha, confirmed that one person died during the incident.
“The SAPS has opened an inquest docket and police investigations are continuing,” he said.
