Merafong City municipality has been accused of being responsible for the death of a two-year-old who recently burnt to death after residents reportedly failed to extinguish a blaze that razed a shack while the girl was inside. Residents of Kokosi informal settlement, in Fochville, Gauteng, where the incident occurred, toldThe Citizenthat they struggled to stop the fire because they did not have access to water. They were forced to watch helplessly as the shack burnt to the ground.
A witness, who is also a family spokesperson, Kate Nkana, said she was alerted by other community members that the shack was burning and rushed to the scene hoping to assist. “What we saw there was horrific because we couldn’t stop the blaze as we did not have water. “We watched helplessly as two-year-old Lesego Boyzen burnt to death.
Firefighters arrived late and I told them that there was a baby inside and they checked and found her. Nkana said if they had had access to water, they would probably have managed to control the fire and save Boyzen’s life. She said the family was considering taking legal action against the municipality and other relevant stakeholders.
Read Full Article on The Citizen
[paywall]
Elliot Mthembu, a community leader and a member of the Greater Fochville water crisis committee, said the authorities must account for the death of the toddler. “The area has been without water for many years, so if there had been enough water, the community would have managed to control the blaze and rescue the baby. “Kokosi has been without water for almost a year due to the money it owes Rand Water.
[/paywall]
