Mom, toddler die in fire
The KwaNonqaba community is mourning the death of Andiswa Ncube and her two-year-old daughter, Limandla Ncube.
Limandla died in a fire and Andiswa later died of burns she suffered in the fire.
Limandla's 10-year-old sibling and her father miraculously survived.
On Monday, 29 October at approximately 06:40 the 10 year old, a learner at Imekhaya Primary School, woke from the noise of sparks from the electrical meter box that was said to have been installed officially in the informal dwelling, off Queen Street, KwaNonqaba.
As soon as the parents were awake, they ran outside with the 10 year old.
Once the child was safely outside, Andiswa ran back into the flames in an attempt to save the toddler. In the process she suffered extensive burn wounds to her upper body, arms and face. She was rushed to the Mossel Bay Provincial Hospital. According to the spokesperson for the KwaNonqaba police, Sgt Kapp, Andiswa died in the early hours of Tuesday, 30 October from her injuries.
The toddler's father also suffered burn wounds and escaped with barely any clothes. When the Mossel Bay Fire and Disaster Management firefighters arrived on the scene, they were informed of the presence of the toddler in the burning dwelling.
"We did whatever we could, but when I lifted one of the sheets of corrugated iron I discovered the body of the little girl," a fireman told the Mossel Bay Advertiser.
The firefighters asked for police backup and called on the Western Cape Forensics Department to attend to the scene of the fire.
When the Advertiser visited the scene later on Monday morning, on the erf where the dwelling was razed, plastic tape had been used to cordon off the area where only ashes and warped corrugated iron sheets paid testimony to the tragedy.
The mother's sister, who lives next door, Fundiswa Manyova, and a neighbour, Nombulelo Minana, said the early morning fire was absolutely terrifying.