Two dead from Setswetla weekend fire in Alexandra
A man and a woman die in a fire that broke out in Setswetla, Alexandra that is allegedly cause by a candle.
A 38-year-old man and his girlfriend died in the early hours of the morning of May 22 in a house they were renting.
“We can confirm that we responded to a fire incident in Alexandra, where two people were confirmed dead by our paramedics on the scene, a male and a female. The case was then handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation,” said Robert Mulaudzi, spokesperson of the City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Service (EMS).
The fire is suspected to have been caused by a lit candle since the house does not have an electrical connection and the deceased was believed to have been dependent on candles for light.
Patricia Molatelo Mabidilala-Mofokeng, a PR councillor in Silver Town said, “It was around 05:00 when my neighbour knocked on my door saying there is a house burning and I immediately went outside and saw the house was on fire.
“I went back inside and called EMS and police who arrived on the scene. When they arrived, it was already too late because the whole house had caught fire.”
According to Mabidilala-Mofokeng, the neighbours tried all they could to put out the fire and some even went to Jukskei River to fetch water because one of the challenges they have at Setswetla is the access to water. She said they don’t have running water and depend solely on the Jojo tanks which are always empty because they are not filled with enough water.
“I wish the government can add two or three water tanks so that if a situation like this occurs again, God forbid, we are able to access water easily to put off the fire and protect ourselves as waiting for help takes time.”
Mabidilala-Mofokeng said the identity of man’s partner has not been verified and she is pleading with the community to help locate the girl’s family. They have also asked families to come forward if they have a missing daughter in order to do verifications.
“Something else we are asking for is for our community to lend a helping hand with the burial of the young man as his mother is unemployed. She was solely dependent on him to provide and now that her son is no more, she has no one else to help her.
“She is pleading with the society to donate any amount they can afford to transport her son back to Mozambique to be laid to rest in the land of his forefathers,” Mabidilala-Mofokeng said.
Details: Patricia Molatelo Mabidilala-Mofokeng: 079 068 9033.
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