Child (8) dies in house fire in Esselen Park
Ward councillor Nomthandazo Sibulawa engaged with local pastors to help the family with food parcels
Eight-year-old Siyanda Menziwa burnt to death in his Esselen Park Ext 3 home when it caught fire on February 16.
According to his aunt, Elizabeth Mtshikana, who stays nextdoor, Siyanda was sleeping with his 10-year-old brother when the fire broke out around 11pm.
“The ten-year-old child was rescued by his uncle while community members helped to extinguish the flames,” said Mtshikana.
“The smoke was seen by members at a nearby church who were attending a night service. They screamed for help and the whole community came in numbers. But by then it was too late to save Siyanda,” added Mtshikana.
It is alleged the child’s mother Zandiswa Menziwa visited friends and left her two children alone in the house during the night of the incident.
It is thought that the children put a lit candle on top of a municipal dustbin in their bedroom and this started the fire.
Norkem Park SAPS, Tembisa South SAPS and Ekurhuleni fire fighters attended to the incident.
Ward councillor Nomthandazo Sibulawa engaged with local pastors to help the family with food parcels.
“I appeal to anybody who can help the family with anything. The situation is very bad since everything has burnt down, including school books, uniforms, important documents and furniture, ” said Sibulawa.
She advised the family to register as indigents at the local municipality to be able to have access to electricity.
Norkem Park SAPS spokesperson, Capt Lesibana Molokomme, confirmed that an inquest docket had been registered at the police station.
The Menziwa family used to stay at Madelakufa for quite some before they were allocated their house in Esselen Park in 2011.
