BOPHELONG – He left his landlord’s house and went into his shack to sleep.
Minutes later the two-room shed locked from the inside, caught fire.
As neighbours screamed for help and tried to put out the flames, it was too late.
Malefetsane Rahantlane (43) perished in a devastating fire, which left his family in disbelief and mourning.
According to eyewitnesses, the man was found on a sofa, his body charred after the flames were put out on August 25.
Speaking to Ster, the 43-year-old’s sister, Alinah Mokoena said her family is battling to come to terms with the heart-wrenching ordeal.
“When we got to the scene, the fire was already extinguished and my brother had perished. We are battling to come to terms with the incident. His charred body is still vivid in my mind, what I saw that day is something I can’t forget,” she said.
An immediate neighbour, Sindiswa Sixhaso (57) said she recalls Rahantlane’s scream as he called for help.
“We tried to break the shack down while others poured buckets filled with water to stop the flames, but the fire was just too much. His scream still plays in my head,” she said.
Vanderbijlpark police spokesperson, Sergeant Sabelo Sigcu confirmed the incident.
“An inquest case docket has been opened. It is alleged that an African male was found in the rubble and he was already declared dead by EMS personnel. The investigation is still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.”
