Family mourning, need help

THE FAMILY of the five boys who were killed in a house fire in Philippi say the boys will be deeply missed – mostly “the smiles and laughter which they brought to the family”.

Fourteen-year-old Siyahluma Tyhalani, 13-year-old Vukile Tyhalani, 12-year-old Lunathi Filtane, their cousin, and two-year-old twins Lithemba and Lunje Tyhalani died in a fire in the Mesiya informal settlement in Philippi on Saturday.

Their sister, Nangamso Tyhalani, 19, was heartbroken.

She appealed to good Samaritans to help them with a place to stay.

“I wish to find a safe and secure place to stay with my family, as we will never feel safe in shacks anymore,” she said. “We have nothing on our hands as we speak; no clothes, no identity documents, no certificates; we need help.

“My mother’s spaza that we depended on is also burnt, we really need assistance.”

While the family hope to bury their loved ones soon, the funeral arrangements can only be confirmed once DNA tests have been concluded.

“As parents, it’s very painful to lose children. These were my boys; I regarded all of them as my children,” said Lunathi’s father, Mahlubandile Ningi. “All I want to say to them is rest in peace. I will always love them.”

Ward councillor Siphiwo Nqamduku said: “What destroys me the most is to see our young ones die. These were going to be our future presidents, but Satan decided to take them during Youth Month. We must keep supporting the Tyhalani family.”