The lives of a Soshanguve family in Block AA will never be the same again after they lost two family members in a fire that broke out on Monday morning.
Blame, anger and regret are what is left for the family, after Kekana’s granddaughter Zanele allegedly locked up her two children, aged four and eight months, with the blind grandmother.
Kekana (96) and her eight month old great-grandson, Abraham Masombuka died after she attempted to save their lives in the raging fire.
One of the brave neighbours, Takhala Eriko Hergo said he was in his tuck shop when everything happened. Hergo saw smoke coming from the house and knew that something was wrong. He Immediately closed his store and rushed to help.
“I got there and everyone was just standing and watching. It was terrible and someone had to help. I tried to open the doors but they were all locked. I looked through the window and granny was lying on the floor helpless. Then I decided to knock the door down,” said Hergo.
The neighbours came in numbers to see what was happening, immediately after Takhala managed to break the door open they started helping by extinguishing the fire.
The four-roomed house was left filled with smoke while the room that caught fire was left with nothing but ashes inside.
Kekana’s other granddaughter, Dimakatso Shabangu received the news while she was at her house in Block NN then immediately headed to her grandmother’s house.
“I was told about the burning house then my thought was, what has Zanele done. They explained what happened but my question is, why would Zanele leave the kids with a blind elderly woman and why did she lock them inside? Shabangu asked.
The family received a call from the George Mukhari hospital on Tuesday morning, to inform them of granny Kekana and toddler Abraham’s passing.
According to Zanele Masombuka, she went out early on Monday morning to the clinic for a check-up then at around 10:00, a neighbour notified her that the house was on fire.
“I got a call while I was at the clinic that my home was on fire. I felt like my heart was ripped apart to think that my whole family, including my kids, were in the house. I came back running, felt like my world was spinning. When I got here everyone was screaming. I went into the house and my grandmother was lying there breathless,” said Zanele.
“I think one of my kids was playing with a candle and granny had no knowledge of that since she was blind, then the curtain caught fire,” Zanele added.
Clothes were in ashes along with the school books of Zanele’s daughter, Nombulelo Masombuka who was not present when the fire started.
