The community of Senthumule informal settlement, in Koster in North West, is reeling in shock after a family of seven was tragically killed in a shack fire on Saturday morning.
Boitumelo Mafoko, her four children and two grandchildren, aged two and five, were killed in a blaze after their shack caught fire from a burning candle.
Nothing remains of the mafoko household, which was wiped out in a blaze, that killed a mother and her family. Johanna segone, a neighbour, witnessed it all. Segone says heavy smoke forced her out of her house in the early hours of this morning. She found other residents trying to extinguish the blaze, without any success. Residents also tried to get help from the police and emergency services. Segone says she has never seen such a tragedy.
“These children and their mother died in a fire. This is the most heartbreakng thing, I have ever seen at around two. After the fire died, all I saw were ashes of a black figure but the person was lying down.”
Shocked residents have cried foul, calling for water and electricity to be brought to their area.
“There is no electricity for these people and the houses are not good for the people to stay in so the leadership basically is not doing anything.”
Police say an inquest docket has been opened. No foul play is suspected.
