A mom who lost her son in a shack fire says a neighbour started the blaze because her house was in his way.
She says her son argued with the man hours before he died after he allegedly threatened to set fire to their shacks because they were built too close to his home.
Rosy Makhosa, 60, of Philippi, says she had no idea she was seeing her son Thulani Siyokwana, 26, for the last time when he went to his outside room at 9pm on Saturday.
Rosy was sleeping in her shack with her five-year-old granddaughter Zukhanye.
She says she was in bed when she heard footsteps in the yard.
"I knew my son was sleeping and when I heard his door open I shouted, asking him where he was going but he did not answer," she says.
Rosy says as soon as she heard somebody leaving her son's room she smelled smoke.
The panicked woman grabbed her grandchild and fled the house screaming.
Rosy says she got the sharp smell of petrol coming from her son's room shortly after the fire started.
"When I got out of the house I started screaming for help and a man came and tried to open Thulani's door but the fire was too strong," she says.
Horrified residents were unsure if Thulani was still inside - but when they heard an explosion they knew he had suffered an agonising death.
"When I heard the sound I knew it had to be his [Thulani's] head exploding," says the mom.
She says two weeks ago a neighbour threatened to set fire to her house.
"And now six houses burned down and a life was lost," says Rosy.
"He [the suspect] told me my house and my neighbour's were in his way and he couldn't walk between them."
Police spokesperson Ntomboxolo Sitshitshi says an inquest docket is open.
She says her son argued with the man hours before he died after he allegedly threatened to set fire to their shacks because they were built too close to his home.
Rosy Makhosa, 60, of Philippi, says she had no idea she was seeing her son Thulani Siyokwana, 26, for the last time when he went to his outside room at 9pm on Saturday.
Rosy was sleeping in her shack with her five-year-old granddaughter Zukhanye.
She says she was in bed when she heard footsteps in the yard.
"I knew my son was sleeping and when I heard his door open I shouted, asking him where he was going but he did not answer," she says.
Rosy says as soon as she heard somebody leaving her son's room she smelled smoke.
The panicked woman grabbed her grandchild and fled the house screaming.
Rosy says she got the sharp smell of petrol coming from her son's room shortly after the fire started.
"When I got out of the house I started screaming for help and a man came and tried to open Thulani's door but the fire was too strong," she says.
Horrified residents were unsure if Thulani was still inside - but when they heard an explosion they knew he had suffered an agonising death.
"When I heard the sound I knew it had to be his [Thulani's] head exploding," says the mom.
She says two weeks ago a neighbour threatened to set fire to her house.
"And now six houses burned down and a life was lost," says Rosy.
"He [the suspect] told me my house and my neighbour's were in his way and he couldn't walk between them."
Police spokesperson Ntomboxolo Sitshitshi says an inquest docket is open.
- Daily Voice
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