The family of a Tafelsig woman, who died in a fire, says mystery surrounds her death.
Janine Daniels, 45, died after her hokkie was destroyed by a fire on a field near Dolomite Crescent opposite the Kapteinsklip train station in the earlier hours of Saturday.
Aunt Denise Daames says they don’t know how the fire started.
“A guy named Franky came here to call us during load shedding to say that her hok is burning. I got up and went around, and saw the police and the fire brigade there,” she says.
She said that as the flames were doused she saw Janine’s burnt body. “They were busy when one of the guys kept his phone’s torch there. This is when I saw the shape of the body. The face part was extremely bad,” Denise added.
The hartseer auntie said that the next day she returned and found human remains laying on the ground.
“I went there again because I was very sad to see how she looked. I also found some of her pieces [of bone] which I picked up, piece for piece.
“Two weeks ago I warned her about living there and told her that her mother wants her to return home,” Denise added.
Kay Daames, Janine’s mother, was too devastated to speak to the Daily Voice.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s fire and rescue services, confirmed that they responded to the blaze around 1am.
“Crews from Mitchells Plain were on scene with two resources. Upon arrival it was discovered that it was an informal structure with one person reported missing,” he said.
“The structure was destroyed and the body of an adult female was discovered with fatal burn wounds.
“The cause of the blaze is unknown and was extinguished after 2.30am,” Carelse added.
When the Voice visited the scene on Tuesday, Janine’s hartseer friend Shafieka Williams said the dead woman was someone she could depend on.
“Sy was my alles,” she added.
“I could go to her for anything. She was a strong woman, just to think, we were still together Friday morning,” Shafieka said as she burst out in tears.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za