Fatal Mayfair fire: Tenant blames childminder for often leaving children unattended

JOHANNESBURG - A tenant from a building where four children died in a fire in Mayfair, Johannesburg, has accused their minder of often leaving them unattended.

The children died from smoke inhalation on Monday when a room used as a creche in the building caught fire.

The childminder and two other children survived the incident.

Tenant Angie Sibanda claims the childminder would often lock the kids in the unit alone while running errands.  

The building where the incident occurred is divided between numerous tenants, each one with their own room, and one of those rooms was being used as a creche.

It's unclear at this stage whether the childcare service was legally registered or authorised.

ALSO READ: Forensic teams remove bodies of 4 children killed in Mayfair fire

Sibanda, who is renting in the same space, said the childminder was also living in the room that she was using as a creche. 

"The room there has electricity, and there is a stove, obviously, there is a bed and other stuff. I can't say the room was good for kids," said Sibanda. 

She added that she believes the woman has now gone into hiding after the ordeal, citing that residents are infuriated by the incident. 

Police said no arrests have been made yet. 

MAYFAIR RIDDLED WITH FLY-BY-NIGHT SERVICES

A parent from Mayfair in Johannesburg said that the area is riddled with fly-by-night facilities.

The parent has complained that many of the facilities she visited while looking for a daycare centre for her children did not have the necessary certification.

She was speaking outside a house on 8th Street in Mayfair and urged parents not to prioritise cheap services.

“Don’t rather care of the money, rather care of your child’s safety. Look for the legal one that is registered because there is too much I didn’t know of this one. There is one in front of me that I know of.”