Johannesburg - Tragedy struck on a day Smolly Nxamangele was supposed to be celebrating her 31st birthday.
Her three children were killed in a raging fire in their home in Sinqobile Phase 3 just outside Kagiso, Krugersdorp.
Nxamangele and her partner, Sello Shili and their oldest son, 6-year-old Mpho, had already left for work and school when the incident happened.
Four-year-old Omphile and one-year-old twins Tlhogonolofatso and Letlhogonolo were burnt beyond recognition when the shack went up in flames at about 7am on Thursday.
Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
The family had been renting the shack since last year after moving from Munsieville in Krugersdorp.
Police received a call about the fire from the landlord just after 7am.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Solomon Sibiya said this was the second incident in the area. Another fire had occurred a few weeks ago.
He urged the community not to leave their children unattended at home.
An inquest docket has been opened.
By the time the parents arrived, it was too late.
The children’s father, Shili, abandoned his commuters and left his taxi near Newlands in Joburg minutes after receiving a call from neighbours.
“I was driving from Joburg when someone called to inform me about the incident. While speaking, the phone went off. The person said my children died,” Shili said.
“I drove into a nearby garage to get airtime and called the person again. After confirming the news, I immediately told my passengers and got off. They also followed and stopped other taxis to continue with their journey.”
Shili said the police had driven his taxi to a nearby police station after he had called and informed his boss about the tragedy.
The father-of-four hitchhiked all the way from Newlands to their shack, where he was greeted by neighbours and firefighters trying to stop the blaze.
Shili and Nxamangele were taken to hospital to be treated for trauma.
Lesiba Kgomo was one of the first people to help put out the fire. He lives a few houses away from the shack.
“I saw the fire, but by the time I got to the shack, it was engulfed by the flames. I tried entering from the back but I still couldn’t get in,” he said.
Neighbours said the children were left in the care of the landlord, who had checked on them, but as they were asleep, had left them and gone back to her house.
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The Star