A fire at a house in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, on Tuesday night claimed the life of 59-year-old Ismail Majiet who was trapped in his bedroom when the fire broke out.
His brother, Abduragiem Smith, 43, said he was in his own bedroom when he heard Ismail screaming for help.
“It was around 12am, I heard my brother screaming, I thought it was people assaulting him again because shortly before the fire happened, people were at his Wendy house fighting with him. He locked himself in the bedroom inside the main house,” he says.
“He added a lot of locks to this room because he goes there to hide when people attack him.
“He is on drugs and regularly gets into trouble with people and that’s why he has all those locks.
“The fire started in the Wendy house behind the house and spread very fast. I’m not sure how exactly it started.
“The room he was in was burnt very badly, he died in the room and we recognised his body by the medical bracelet he was wearing.”
City Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse says crews from Mitchells Plain, Ottery and Belhar were dispatched just after midnight to Firefly Street where they found a house on fire.
“A search of the premises led to the discovery of the remains of an adult male in one of the bedrooms,” he says.
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“He had sustained fatal burn wounds. The fire was extinguished just before 1.30am and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service.”
The remaining family of three adults and two children are now homeless and in need of building material, food and clothes. To assist, call Abduragiem on 078 978 0049.