eMbalenhle mother grapples with children’s death
Cynthia needs trauma counselling after the death of her children.
eMBALENHLE – Ms Cynthia Mathebula (29) from Extension 18 is struggling to come to terms with the death of her children, Boy and Ntombikayise, on 2 October and she still expects to see them walk through the kitchen door.
She was preparing to go to work on that day when her children went to play inside Nkululeko Xaba and Thatho Ngwenya’s grandfather, a neighbour’s, old car that was parked outside the shack’s garage.
Nkululeko and Thatho’s family members saw smoke coming from the car and when they investigated, they saw Thatho burning.
They called other family members and neighbours to help extinguish the fire and they discovered that Boy and Ntombikayise were already burnt to death.
Nkululeko managed to escape unharmed and Thatho is still recovering from serious injuries in the Rob Ferreira Hospital.
Ms Mathebula said the incident haunts her every second day of the month and she is seeking a trauma counselling.
She has even removed the photo of Ntombikayise from the wall, because she cannot cope seeing the smile of her “little angel”.
Ms Mathebula said many people visited the family after the incident to enquire how they could help, but they never followed-up on their promises.
She learned from the Ridge Times that matches were used to begin the fire.
