‘They told me [my son] was dead’ — mother recounts horror of Joburg fire

Danisile Ximba sits outside the burnt building with her pink handbag, the only item she managed to save.(Photo: Bheki Simelane)

By Bheki C. Simelane

31 Aug 2023

Residents of the Johannesburg building that caught fire on Thursday, leading to at least 74 deaths, tell Daily Maverick their stories of loss and heartbreak.

Sphiwe Ngcobo lives at 80 Albert Street in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, with her family. An informal trader, she sets up her table outside the building each night. In the early hours of Thursday morning, she heard a commotion from inside the building, as though there was a fight, and asked another trader for help.

“We moved the table, but soon after we heard people shouting, saying the building was on fire. In the house were my two children and their father, so I ran inside. When I got to the second floor, I encountered chaos. People were running around, some scrambling to save what they could and some trying to escape the fire.

Sphiwe Ngcobo outside the burnt building in the inner city. She lost her two-year-old son in the blaze. (Photo: Bheki Simelane)

“I went for another door but it was locked. Some people broke the door down but it was still impossible to go inside because of the smoke and fire. I then ran outside again and alerted a police officer of my plight. He referred me to a Johannesburg Emergency Services official who said their hands were full as they were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings at that time.”

“I carried on searching for my family until I found what I eventually did,’’ she said.

She saw a man carrying her five-year-old daughter on his shoulder. He placed her inside an ambulance and paramedics performed CPR. She started breathing again.

Ngcobo’s brother, who also lives in the building, braved the flames and went inside and brought out her two-year-old son.

“He placed him on the ground. They also [gave him CPR] in the hope that he would be okay, but suddenly I saw them removing his clothes and then they told me that he was dead.’’

Ngcobo’s husband and daughter are receiving treatment for smoke inhalation.

At least 74 people died in the fire: 40 males, 24 females and 10 whose gender could not be confirmed because the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The death toll included 12 children.

The Johannesburg Property Company owns the building, which during apartheid was used to administer pass laws and until around 2017 was a shelter for women and children. City manager Floyd Brink said the building had been “invaded and hijacked”.

Unlike some of her neighbours, Ngcobo “owned” the room she shared with her family of four. It was sold to her by the previous owner. She had lived in the building for five years. She could not save any of her possessions.

‘An unattended candle’

Danisile Ximba, another resident, said, “From what I know, a guy who stayed on the first floor left a candle unattended and it caught fire. As the fire spread, it reached a nearby room, which was used as a spaza shop, and which also had a gas cylinder.

“That is when the blaze gained momentum and quickly spread to the upper floors. Many of us were affected by the smoke and it was hard to escape because the gates were also locked. Others began throwing themselves over while others sought innovative means to escape such as sliding down bed sheets. Others were killed by the smoke.”

Danisile Ximba sits outside the burnt building with her pink handbag, the only item she managed to save. (Photo: Bheki Simelane)

Ximba, who had lived in the building for two years, was sleeping when the fire broke out. She was woken by screams from her neighbours and managed to escape through the back gate of the building.

“When I looked out the window, I could see smoke then a fire,” said Ximba, who managed to save only her handbag.

Nondumiso Ngubane (23) said, “I was sleeping when the fire broke out. I could hear loud footsteps as though people were running away. When I opened the window and looked downstairs, I could see flames and there was smoke all over.”

Ngubane said she had paid R1,600 a month for rent. She said the landlord lived in the building, but was away when the fire broke out.

She said she couldn’t save much and some of her belongings were stolen in the commotion. She lost her rent money, which she had on hand because it was due at the end of the month.

Civil society organisations have often criticised the city’s efforts in dealing with hijacked buildings in the inner city, which at one point involved raids and the deportation of illegal foreigners.

They say that if evictions are carried out, decent alternative accommodation must be provided.

After a fire at the Cape York building in 2018, which claimed seven lives, the city moved residents to a tent city at Wembley Stadium in Turffontein. Years later, those residents were living in squalid conditions.

The city said it would provide temporary accommodation for the residents of 80 Albert Street at three different sites: the Hofland Recreation Centre in Bezuidenhout Valley, Ekhaya Shelter in Hillbrow and Impilo Shelter in Jeppe. But that’s only for 72 hours. The Department of Human Settlements will then advise on where they will be taken.

Helpline

A call centre has been set up to help families locate missing people or bodies. The numbers are: 0800 203 886, 011 241 5767 and 011 355 3048. The bodies have been taken to Diepkloof mortuary and the survivors to Helen Joseph, Charlotte Maxeke, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Tembisa Provincial and South Rand hospitals. DM

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‘An unattended candle’

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