2 days ago
KZN child (4) left alone dies in Cinderella Park shack fire
A Cinderella Park, KZN, family is struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of their four-year-old boy Ayabonga Tsoeali, who perished in a devastating shack fire over the weekend.
The blaze, believed to have been sparked by a candle left burning in the Umzungulu Road shack where Ayabonga was sleeping on Saturday night, left the child burnt beyond recognition.
Speaking to The Witness, grieving family member Jabulani Dlamini recounted how they had attended a children's party at a neighbour's home earlier that evening.
'We took the children to the party.
'I was sitting by the gate when my grandson kept coming to show me his bag of sweets.
'Later, I went to visit another neighbour,' says a distraught Dlamini.
He described how they drank on the veranda while Ayabonga, tired from the festivities, fell asleep on his lap.
'I carried him home and put him to bed.
'I then went to call his grandmother to watch him, but couldn't find her.
'I searched for another trusted woman in the neighbourhood, but she wasn't around either,' Dlamini says, his voice heavy with guilt.
'On my way back, someone shouted about a shack fire.
'My heart stopped — this would be the third time our home caught fire.
'By the time I arrived, the flames were unstoppable.
'I can't bear this loss.
'He was such a bright, affectionate boy who loved cuddles.'
Ward councillor Ram Roy urges greater community vigilance during this high-risk period for shack fires.
'It is sad for this family as they have lost their four-year-old boy.
'I sympathise with them and pray that God be with them,' he says.
Roy adds that the construction of these shacks made them vulnerable to fast-spreading fires.
'They are not as tight as a house.
'It causes the fire to escalate.
'Most of these shacks are covered by plastic,' he says.
uMgungundlovu District SAPS acting spokesperson Warrant Officer Pancheal Singh says an inquest docket had been opened.
'According to Ayabonga's mother, her son told her that he was tired and wanted to sleep.
'Her father-in-law [Dlamini] took the child to his residence and placed him on the bed in his one-room shack opposite the venue where the party was.
'He then lit a candle, placed it on the chair and left to go back to the house party,' says Singh.
He adds that Ayabonga's remains were taken to the Fort Napier Mortuary.
'The fire department is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine the cause of the fire,' he says.
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