Johannesburg - The festive season
took a tragic turn for a Sophiatown family whose six-year-old daughter fell five floors to her death in an abandoned lift.
The incident occurred at the Herdershof building, better known as the “police flats” in the Joburg suburb, following a spate of complaints about criminal activities such as house robberies and car theft.
According to a resident, who declined to be named, police officers have also allegedly been renting out their flats to make an extra buck.
The woman, who has been living in the block of flats since 2004, said there are four lifts that have not been working for the past six years.
“The lifts were repaired three years ago, but someone stole a cable and they stopped working again. But that is not the only problems we encounter here.
“There is rubbish everywhere and broken windows. And it’s unsafe for our children to play outside,” she said.
There is no warning sign about the dangers that the dysfunctional and neglected lifts pose.
A woman visiting a relative at the flats was the first to arrive on the scene. She said she couldn’t sleep after witnessing what happened to the child.
“I can still see the little girl’s shattered skull and misplaced eye after her terrifying fall.”
The woman said she initially thought that the six-year-old was unconscious.
“The kids came here running and crying and scared. At first I thought it was nothing serious. I switched off my stove and followed them.
“I found the girl’s parents there, crying hysterically.
“One of the children told me she blamed herself, because she lost her grip on the girl’s hand while she was trying to stop her falling.
“I think she lost her balance and ended up leaning on the lift door and it just opened.
“She fell, and we then tried to pull her to stop her from falling, but her hand slipped out of mine,” said a tearful friend, who had tried to help her.
The latter’s mother said the children keep asking her when the girl will be coming back. “I told the children she is in heaven and she won’t be coming back.”
The woman said the mother of the deceased child fetched a blanket to cover her body, and paramedics arrived 30 minutes later. She instructed the children to leave the scene.
She said she hoped the residents in the flats would stand united to demand a safer environment for everyone who lives there.
The girl’s friends and the residents at the flats were left traumatised.
The girl’s father refused to speak to the media.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said: “We can confirm that the six-year-old died. An inquest docket has been opened and we are investigating the matter.”
He urged the residents to report any criminal or suspicious activity, but was unable to comment on the allegations that
members of the SAPS were renting out their flats to foreigners.
The City of Joburg said it was difficult to comment or assist regarding the conditions at the flats as most of the municipal workers were on holiday.