Young woman saves siblings from fire, then dies

The fire was caused by a lit candle.

August 24, 2023

Ntombikayise Sibeko 2 minutes read

Wattville residents have hailed Moipone Tshabalala (27) a hero after she saved her two younger brothers from a house fire that sadly ended her life.

The fire broke out in the early hours of August 15, leaving the family with nothing but pain.

According to Moipone’s distraught mother, Sarah Tshabalala, the fire started in the dining room after her uncle, who is mentally disturbed, left a candle burning. It was not load-shedding at the time.

“When he went to the bathroom, the candle fell onto his mattress and started a fire.

“When Moipone woke up, the house was already surrounded by flames. She immediately woke up her two brothers, aged 13 and 25, and told them to go to the bathroom window to call for help. She returned to the dining room to look for keys to open the security gate but, unfortunately, did not make it back to the bathroom.”

Community leader Mpinini Mabotha outside the family home.

Tshabalala said when she arrived at her house, her two sons, who live in the outside rooms, had opened the door and her uncle and one son had managed to get to safety, but the other son was trapped in the bathroom.

The mother of six showed the Benoni City Times the injuries she sustained during the fire, adding she crawled inside the house through thick clouds of smoke to pull Moipone out. “While pulling her, I was calling out her name.

She responded ‘Ma’ but in a fading voice. I ended up giving up because I could not pull her close to me, she was too heavy for me. It was like she was trapped.” The mother said she hunted for a way out of the blaze.

“I screamed for help and one of our neighbours risked his life by going inside the house to save my son in the bathroom.”

A photo of Moipone Tshabalala taken the day before her death.

With the shock visible on her face and with burn marks on her left knee, Tshabalala said she watched helplessly while neighbours battled the fire. According to her, neighbours tried to phone the fire department, but the numbers they tried did not connect.

“We lost all our belongings, including furniture, clothing, food and other valuable items,” said Tshabalala.

Moipone, who worked at Makro Carnival in Dalpark, has been described as a peacemaker who was forever smiling and joyful. The family is appealing for assistance to rebuild their lives. If you can assist contact Moipone’s aunt, Nonhlanhla, on 071 199 4585.