Dad, Daughter and Grandson die in Fire in Khayelitsha
- In a tragic and heroic act, Masakhane Toyake, a beloved sangoma, attempts to rescue his family from a devastating fire at their shack
- The fire claimed the lives of his daughter, Owethu Qeqe, and grandson, Hlumelo Fokwana
- Masakhane's wife, Constance Qeqe, suspects vutha, a mysterious or supernatural fire, might have caused the fire
Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered court and crime-related news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.
Source: UGC
In a tragic and heroic act, Masakhane Toyake (54), a beloved sangoma, died on youth day while attempting to rescue his family from a devastating fire.
The fire broke out in their shack at the Level 2 Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha and claimed his daughter and grandson's lives.
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The day of the tragic accident
Constance Qeqe (43), Masakhane's wife, described the horrifying shack fire that occurred early Sunday morning.
"We were asleep when my husband suddenly shouted that the house was on fire. At first, I thought he was dreaming since he was fast asleep. I looked around and saw no fire, but flames erupted from the wardrobe when I woke him up, and we managed to escape."
According to the Daily Sun, once they were outside, Masakhane realised that his daughter, Owethu Qeqe (15), and grandson, Hlumelo Fokwana (10), were still inside the burning shack.
Driven by paternal instinct and courage, he returned to the inferno to save them. Tragically, none of them survived.
"Flames got out of hand, and he and the children didn’t make it out alive. We're sitting with three bodies to bury."
The reason behind the fire is unknown.
Holding back her tears, Constance said she thinks the fire might have been caused by vutha, a term used to describe a mysterious or supernatural fire, as nothing was burnable in the cupboard.
Jermaine Carelse, a Fire and Rescue Services spokesman, said the teams from Mfuleni and surrounding areas were sent to the scene around 3am.
Carlese also said the cause of the fire was still unknown.
"Fire crews arrived to find a large structure engulfed in flames. By shortly after 4 am, firefighters had managed to put out the fire, which had destroyed the houses and left 10 people homeless."
"Tragically, the bodies of an adult male, a female, and a young boy were found with fatal burn injuries."
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the horrific incident.
"Police responded to a call on 16 June. When they got to the informal settlement, they found fire and rescue teams already there. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have initiated an inquest for investigation."
The community mourns the loss of Masakhane Toyake, a hero who gave his life trying to save his family.
Tragic fire incident claims life at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital's female psychiatric unit
Briefly News reported that a fire at Dr. George Mukhari Academic Hospital's female psychiatric unit resulted in the death of a 35-year-old patient.
17 other patients were safely removed, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Gauteng Department of Health has extended condolences and offers counselling to affected families.
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Source: Briefly News
