Durban: The family of a Clairwood man, who died when a fire engulfed his home, want those responsible to be caught.
Sathiaseelan Pillay, 80, of Horseshoe Road, was one of the three people who died in the fire on Sunday morning. His body was found in his bedroom.
Jayandran Pillay, his nephew, said: “My uncle was humble, kind, and simple. He lived in one bedroom of his property and rented out the rest."
He said there was speculation that he was involved in the theft.
"How would that even be possible for an 80-year-old person with Parkinson’s disease? My uncle was in fact trapped in the house," Pillay said.
Pillay, who lives in Chatsworth, said that Sathiaseelan had been unmarried and did not have children.
“After retiring from working in a printing press, he devoted his life to the local temples. Over the years, as he got older, we always told him to live with us but he said he was born in Clairwood and that was where he would die. We never thought we would lose him in such a tragic manner.”
Pillay said he often visited his uncle on Sundays.
“I would either go alone or with family. We would take him food and just spend time with him. He also visited us and he used to stay with us when he was sick and return home when he felt better. He enjoyed the comfort of his own home.”
He said they were awaiting DNA testing before a funeral was arranged.
The trustees of the Clairwood Shree Siva Subramanium Temple (CSSST) in Sirdar Road said in a statement that Sathiaseelan was also an assistant priest.
"The CSSST mourns the passing away of a humble generous and dedicated devotee. Mr Sathia is known to all and during the Kavady festival he assisted our resident priest. On other occasions, he always assisted at the temple when called upon. He always spoke to devotees one-on-one about the meaning of the different prayers that were performed. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
The Post