#DurbanRain: Wall crushes man to death

Bafana Mthembu in the Inanda home where his nephew, Nhlanhla, was killed when a wall fell on him. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/ANA Pictures

Bafana Mthembu in the Inanda home where his nephew, Nhlanhla, was killed when a wall fell on him. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/ANA Pictures

Published May 15, 2017

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DURBAN - A sleeping 24-year-old Inanda man, Nhlanhla Mthembu, was killed instantly when the wall of his home collapsed on him, the result of the heavy rain and age of the house, his family say.

The house was built in the 1960s and was made of poor building material, and the sand and cement structure was not strong enough to keep the wall standing during the downpours.

Mthembu’s uncle, Bafana Mthembu, 55, said he was sleeping on the other side of the house when he heard a loud bang. Then, it all went quiet.

“Nhlanhla was sleeping alone in his room and after I heard the loud bang, I walked to his side of the house to check what was happening.

“I saw the wall on the floor and his bed was flattened. He didn’t make a noise or cry for help when the wall collapsed. My sister’s child died a very painful death and this could have been avoided had the previous councillor heeded our call for help with an RDP house.

“We stayed here because we have nowhere else to go and we are all unemployed,” Mthembu said.

Having called the neighbours for help, Nhlanhla’s lifeless body was removed from under the wall and taken to a government mortuary.

“We were nine in this house: my sisters and five children aged between six and 18 years.

“We have now received accommodation from different relatives because no one can continue living within these walls as they are unstable.

“There are many more houses like this in this area, but there are people who have RDP houses who don’t deserve them.

“Our councillor has promised to visit and tell us what assistance is available for us,” he said.

Sazi Mfeka, Nhlanhla’s brother-in-law, said the tragedy could have been avoided had the family received help when they asked for it “years ago”.

“We are hopeful that our councillor will take the housing issue seriously and prioritise it. We understand that he inherited this situation from previous councillors but to avoid more disasters, people must be given proper houses.

“I was still very young when these houses were built, so they should be pulled down and replaced with proper houses,” he said.

Another resident said her wall collapsed last year, but no one was injured. Bad weather had also been the cause, she said.

Picture: Bongani Mbatha/ANA Pictures

Tholi Ngcobo said she had lived in the house since the 1970s and after the wall collapsed, she used corrugated iron to close off the opening.

“The previous councillor was aware of my situation but I never got help. I’m unemployed and look after two grandchildren aged nine and 10. I don’t know what would have happened if they were at home when the wall collapsed.

“What happened to Nhlanhla is painful, especially with the thought that it could have been prevented,” she said.

Ward 56 councillor Musa Nyaba said he would visit the family today.

“It is true that housing is a very serious concern in the area. We have identified more than 20 houses which are in the same condition as the one that collapsed. We are looking at the funeral arrangements for this family and will announce what other assistance they will get once we sit down with the municipality and assess the family’s situation.

“This weather was too much for that structure, so we urge people to be on the lookout for cracks and shifts in their homes and report them to us before things get out of hand,” Nyaba said.

Daily News

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