Appeal for help after fire kills children, leaves family homeless

The family has nothing left after the fire reduced their shack to a pile of rubble and killed the four-year-old twin sisters, Josephinah and Maria Makgatho, on Sunday morning, April 17.

They are now homeless and desperately need donations of food, clothing, building material, furniture, money and other necessities.

To donate something, individuals and businesses can contact the Reiger Park CPF chairperson, Pastor Francis Coetzee, on 083 647 8336.

The devastated family is still grieving for the twin sisters, who were burnt beyond recognition when the family’s three-room shack caught fire.

The children’s distraught parents, Rose Makgato (35) and Philemon Hlako (52), could not hold back tears when they told the Advertiser what happened to the children they described as little girls who were always in playful moods, always full of joy and who showed respect to elders.

The father, Hlako, was home in Ga-Matlala, Limpopo, when he received the news of the tragedy, and he immediately took a taxi from Limpopo to Boksburg.

“I could not believe then that it was my children who had died,” he said.

”Words cannot express the enormity of the tragedy which has befallen us. We are all numbed by this tragedy which has visited us.

“I have since found out that the incident occurred after their mother left them in the three-room shack they were living in, and went to work, on Sunday morning.

“She left the twin sisters in their shack in the care of their brothers, Gideon (8) and Daniel (12).”

It is alleged that Daniel cooked beans and rice for the other children and then went out to charge a cellphone.

Gideon followed him, leaving the twins on their own.

While they were away, the shack caught alight.

Neighbours reportedly noticed the cloud of smoke coming from the burning shack and heard the sounds of the twins screaming in pain.

The next thing the entire area was filled with smoke from the burning shack.

In attempts to save the twins, members of the community tried to put out the fire with buckets of water, but their efforts to extinguish the blaze with water did not help, as the fire was raging and uncontrollable.

By that time the children were no longer screaming or even calling for help.

The police were also alerted, and the firefighters were called, but it was too late when they arrived.

The children were already burnt beyond recognition.

Reiger Park SAPS spokesperson Sgt Mashudu Phathela said a preliminary investigation suggested that a stove had caused the fire.

“An inquest docket has been opened; we are investigating all possible causes of this incident,” he added.

Meanwhile, residents in the informal settlement and Reiger Park CPF chairperson Pastor Francis Coetzee expressed shock at the deaths of the little girls.

Coetzee and Phathela visited the family on Tuesday afternoon to give them something to eat and to express their condolences.

Coetzee said the family is living a nightmare and needs support from community members, authorities and local businesses to kick-start their lives.

The little girls will be laid to rest in Ga-Matlala, on Saturday, April 23. -@FanieFLK

Four-year-old twin sisters burn to death