A heartbreaking fire tragedy has claimed the lives of six children in the Ekuphumuleni Informal Settlement in Shaka’s Head, Ballito, leaving a family and community shattered.
The blaze tore through a shack in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing five children inside the home. The victims have been identified as 19-year-old Asamkele Somtsewu, 14-year-old Sonwabise Noyila, three-year-old Amila Menemene, and one-year-old twins Sokhula and Solulele Somtsewu. Authorities have confirmed that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A visibly devastated father, Sivuyile Noyila, described the final moments he shared with his daughter, Sonwabise, just hours before the tragedy struck. He recalled how they had spent Saturday evening together watching a soccer match. Both father and daughter were passionate supporters of Orlando Pirates and often bonded over their shared love of the team.
After the match ended, the night appeared normal. Noyila said his daughter approached him, said she was going to bed, and gave him their customary fist bump — a simple gesture that would unknowingly become their final goodbye.
Later that night, Noyila closed his shop and went to sleep in another room with his wife. Their rest was abruptly interrupted by the screams of their eldest daughter, who alerted them to the fire. By the time they rushed to where the children were sleeping, flames had already engulfed the structure.
Despite desperate efforts to break into the room and rescue the children, the smoke and flames made it nearly impossible. Neighbours quickly gathered to assist. Amid the chaos, Noyila’s wife managed to enter the burning shack and save their two-year-old daughter, though she sustained minor injuries during the rescue.
The tragedy has deeply affected the Ekuphumuleni community, which is home to more than 1,000 residents who settled there in 2020. The area reportedly lacks access to essential services such as running water, a factor residents say increases vulnerability to fires.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, visited the grieving family on Sunday. Accompanied by officials from the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and KwaDukuza Mayor Sduduzo Gumede, he conveyed condolences on behalf of the provincial government.
Buthelezi confirmed that government would provide burial assistance and logistical support to ensure dignified funerals for the victims. This includes transporting remains to the Eastern Cape where necessary and covering funeral-related costs.
He also announced plans for preventative measures, directing the Provincial Disaster Management Centre to begin piloting the installation of smoke detectors in affected informal settlements in KwaDukuza. The initiative aims to reduce the risk of future fire-related disasters.
Community leader Ongama Mncameni, chairperson of Abahlali BaseMjondolo in the area, said this was the first fatal fire since residents moved into the settlement. He explained that the community had originally tried to space out homes to prevent fires from spreading rapidly, but Sunday’s tragedy has left residents emotionally shaken.
Earlier that same day, Buthelezi also visited another bereaved family in Nongoloza under Umdoni Local Municipality, where a separate structural fire claimed three adult lives.
As investigations continue, the Ekuphumuleni community mourns the unimaginable loss of young lives cut tragically short.
