Heroic father killed in fire

A Cape Flats father made the ultimate sacrifice when he tried to save his family from a shack fire.

The last thing his neighbour remembers about Andile Mnyamana, 40, is how he tried to go back into the burning structure to rescue his stepdaughter and wife.

He managed to drag his wife Thembeka Mkiva, 33 to safety. But sadly, he could not get to his 15-year-old stepdaughter in time.

Yamkela Mkiva died in the blaze.

A neighbour in TR Section, Khayelitsha, recalls seeing Andile’s back blistered and his skin coming off his bones.

In the end, his injuries were too severe and he died hours later in hospital.

His neighbour, Thobile Nelani, 48, says when he woke up in the early hours of Sunday morning, he heard someone shout: “Help, there’s a fire!”

“When I got out, I saw the flames and called other people to come help us,” he explains.

“Andile’s wife was still sleeping at that time.

“But he managed to drag her out in time but when he went back, he got burnt but he didn’t care, he was very persistent but he finally gave in.

“We managed to put the fire out and he was taken to the hospital with his wife.”

Disgruntled community leader Xolisani Maqonga tells the Daily Voice the firefighters didn’t pitch up.

“The people had to help themselves. They dug up sand to put the fire out,” he says.

“They called fire rescue and not even one engine came to TR section.”

He blames the Human Settlement Department for not moving people to the new area Nuwe Begin.

“We had been promised to move a long time ago and every time we are supposed to the process is delayed,” he says.

“And now people are dying because the department is not taking note of us.

“There are no street names in this clustered area, maybe the fire engines couldn’t find a way of driving in here.”

Councillor at the TR Section Luvuyo Hebe says it gets difficult for the locals to extinguish the fire because there is no water.

“They have to walk about 500 metres to get water, that is why they thought of using sand, unfortunately people got hurt in this incident,” Hebe tells the Daily Voice.

“It’s really cold here and people have to use paraffin heaters and that is what caused the fire here.”

Captain FC van Wyk says an inquest docket has been opened and they are investigating the cause of fire.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice