Klerksdorp - An 18-year-old girl who died in a fire at her school, was an amazing child despite being deaf, her family said on Wednesday.
“She was an amazing child. She enjoyed playing with her mother Dikeledi Koli. You will think they are friends. She also won awards for chess and table tennis,” family member Neo Mothibedi said.
Dinah Koli, from Jouberton in Klerksdorp, was one of the three girls who died when a fire broke out the North West Secondary School for the Deaf in Leeudoringstad near Wolmaranstad on Monday.
Fifty-four other schoolchildren were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and injuries they sustained when they leaped from the first floor to ground floor of the hostel in bid to escaped the raging fire.
Mothibedi said the family was shocked about the loss of their daughter.
“She was friendly and clever, she was able to raise funds by plaiting her friends' hair at school and at home,” Mothibedi said.
“We cannot blame anyone for this incident. The security at the school is good. We will wait for the forensic investigation to continue to determined the cause of the fire,” she said.
North West Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said the department would support the families and pupils through this tragedy incident.
“The school needs to be cleansed I will speak to religious leader to cleansed the school,” said emotionally drained Matsemela.
Early this month, two pupils and a teacher were killed when their minibus taxi overturned.
Dinah Koli, who wanted to be a medical doctor would be laid to rest on Saturday in Jouberton near Klerksdorp.
ANA