A Gauteng family is devastated following the horrific deaths of three of their children in a shack fire in Ulundi informal settlement in Villa Liza, Boksburg, earlier this week.

The three Vilakazi daughters; Nonkanyiso (3), Lwandle (5), and Nosipho (8), died when the two-bedroom shack they share with their mother went up in flames just after 22:00 on Monday.

Eight-year-old Nosipho Vilakazi and her two younger sisters Nonkanyiso (3) and Lwandle (5) died when their two-bedroom shack went up in flames.

Information gathered suggested that the 23-year-old mother of the children, Sinenhlanhla, had left the shack shortly before the fire broke out.

According to a family spokesperson and the children’s aunt, Jabulisile Maseko, her sister had received a phone call about a new job that she was expected to start the following day.

Shortly before the tragic incident, Sinenhlanhla quickly went to two nearby families to borrow money for her transportation to the new workplace.

The eldest daughter, Nosipho, was reportedly still awake when the mother left at about 22:00, and the door was not locked.

Much to her surprise, when she approached her home, she was greeted by clouds of smoke and flames and noticed a crowd of neighbours using buckets of water to put out the fire and rescue the children.

“One of the neighbours noticed the smoke and blew his whistle to alert other residents as he was running to the scene with buckets of water.

“More residents, including myself, joined. By the time the fire was brought under control at around 22:30, it was too late.

“The children were already severely burnt and had suffered smoke inhalation. They were unresponsive,” explains Maseko.

Their charred bodies were found on a burnt-out coil spring mattress among the debris.

Maseko says the entire shack was burning, which hampered efforts to save the children.

Firefighters and paramedics reportedly arrived after the flames were almost doused by residents.

The children were all declared dead on the scene, and their bodies were taken to the Germiston state mortuary about five hours later, according to Maseko.

Speculation as to what caused the fire

Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the family says their electric hotplate, which was located close to other items near the door, is the probable cause of the fire.

“My sister suspects a hotplate switch failure or that the stove was mistakenly left in the on position during the load-shedding between 18:00 and 22:00, and when the power came back on around just after she left the shack, the hotplate possibly heated up excessively and caused an explosion,” says the aunt.

Family in pain

The grieving mother couldn’t hold back tears as she spoke of the pain of losing her children, who she described as respectful, ever-beaming, and God-fearing.

“I cherished my children all the time. I always say to myself that even though their fathers have left me, I will go all out to ensure that they get an education and all the basic needs, including clothes and food.

“Their passing has left me with nothing to live for, and I can’t imagine my life without them.

“My eldest daughter, uNosipho, was always helping me with house chores, and she would constantly tell me that she will always be there for me and that she will study hard, get a job, and get a better place for all of us.

“Even when I shouted at them, they would still come to lean over to embrace me.”

Nosipho was attending school at Zimele Primary School in Vosloorus, and her siblings were in a local crèche.

Family seeks help for funeral

The bereaved family is now desperately seeking assistance to bury their three loved ones.

Speaking of how the unemployed single parent struggled financially and to raise the children, Maseko says the family lacks the means to bury the siblings and explains how they have been scrambling to get food and clothing since the fire.

“We do not know how we will bury them. I don’t have any funeral cover because the little money I could get was only enough to pay for their education and provide for their basic needs. I never thought that God would take them this early,” explains the heartbroken mother.

“I’m pleading with anyone out there to help us. We are looking for any kind of help. It can be anything from helping us with the burial to groceries.”

To lend a helping hand to the family, contact Maseko on 081 057 6556.

Double tragedy

The mother is not only struggling to bury the deceased but has also faced the double tragedy of losing all her belongings.

This means she also has to rebuild her shelter and find clothing, furniture, and other basic needs.

“I’m only left with the clothes I was wearing. The fire left me homeless. We are now using the owner of the yard’s shack. I have only received a blanket from the metro.”

The City of Ekurhuleni has not responded to whether it will be offering any support to the bereaved family.

According to William Ntladi, the media liaison officer for the Disaster Emergency Management Services, although his department has offered one blanket, the city’s Social Development and Human Settlement departments have been approached for further intervention.

Community leaders

Community leaders commend the efforts made by informal settlement dwellers to extinguish the fire by using the bucket system mechanism.

Leaders Khulekani Ndwandwe and Sunnyboy Mvubelo say they were the first people on the scene.

“I know the family very well. I’m deeply hurt by what happened to them, but I felt encouraged when I saw more residents coming with their buckets of water,” says Mvubelo.

Ward councillor Andile Daemane also visited the scene, and he expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.

Residents pointed out that the different informal settlements in the area have suffered losses as a result of shack fires in the past, particularly during the winter season.