Soil of Africa civic movements members visited the family in Marikana informal settlement
Soil of Africa Civic Movement has come to the rescue of the family of six shack fire victims who were burnt to death beyond recognition on Monday at the Springs informal settlement known as Marikana.
According to Soil of Africa Chairperson Bongani Ramontja, a devastating tragedy struck the Phala family in the early hours of Monday morning whereby a shack fire claimed the lives of five people, including two children aged 3 years and 1- year six months.
He said the cause of the shack fire is yet unknown.
A 7-year-old boy survived the fatal incident after being rescued from the inferno by a brave neighbour and is currently fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at an unnamed hospital.
This after sustaining burn woods and severe smoke inhalation during the fatal ordeal.
The burned shack where family died in a shack fire
Soil of Africa was called in to come and assist the less fortunate family with logistics and costs regarding the burial of their deceased family members.
“The family’s pain was worsened by the fact that all that the local community members could do was to watch helplessly as they couldn’t do anything to extinguish the raging fire that eliminated the family because there is scarcity of water in the area,” he said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the Phahla family and the entire KwaThema, Springs community during this time of immense sorrow and may the young 7-year-old survivor find strength to heal,” said Ramontja.
Soil of Africa visited the bereaved family at the ruins of the burnt shack and brought groceries to the family as well as clothing items to the surviving 7-year-old boy.
The father of the wiped-out family, Mr Phahla, told Soil of Africa that one of the deceased people is his first-born daughter who was living with her boyfriend in the now burnt-down shack.
He said he now finds himself in a situation whereby he has to bury four of his grandchildren and their mother.
His daughter’s boyfriend will be buried by his own family while he will be laying to rest his daughter and grandchildren in Zebediela in the Limpopo Province.
Phahla expressed concern that the DNA test results may take long to be released but Ramontja assured him that as Soil of Africa they will do their best to make sure that the DNA test results get released as soon as possible.
Ramontja cited the case of two-year-old Kamohelo Nthekong of Nellmapius in Tshwane, whose DNA tests were kept for over six months at the national laboratory but were released when they as Soil of Africa intervened.
Ramontja explained that when dead people have been burnt beyond recognition, a necessity for a DNA test arises to make sure that the deceased corpses are given to their rightful families.