An eyewitness recounts the seconds leading up to double-death tragedy

It was a normal day at one of the shops along Claim Street for Mark Sibisi* on a Sunday afternoon.

As usual‚ he had enjoyed the sweet melodies coming from the Revelation Church of God which is the main event every Sunday. But just as the service concluded‚ the music died and he heard strange sounds.

People across the road were screaming and Sibisi dashed out to see what was going on. Everybody was looking towards the skies.

“When I looked up‚ I saw the mother. She was holding her child over the balcony and people were begging her not to drop the child. That lasted for a few seconds and the woman dropped the child.

 “I turned away because I could not see the child dying like that. Just as we thought it was over‚ the mother quickly followed through and jumped. We all then rushed to see if they survived and police were called. They both died. A horrible Sunday for all of us here and we will never forget what happened‚” said Sibisi.

While police were investigating the matter on the day of the incident‚ Sibisi said he spoke to the father of the five-year-old boy.

“He only told me that he was cooking in the kitchen when he heard people scream outside. He did not rush to check things out because he thought people where chasing a criminal. When he finally checked it out‚ that was the time he made the gruesome discovery‚” Sibisi said.

The man and his 41-year-old wife were on good terms‚ according to Sibisi. The woman is believed to have had a psychological problem which only those close to her knew about.

It was the second incident of this nature that residents have witnessed this year at San Martin Mansions where the woman lived with her husband and two children.

In January‚ a man pushed his wife and a five-year-old child to their death from the sixth floor after what was believed to be an argument over infidelity.

Neighbours at the block of flats which is located at the busy corner of Claim and Lydes streets in Joubert Park‚ Johannesburg‚ told Sowetan at the time that the wife was not at home for two weeks and when she returned from Zimbabwe‚ a woman employed as a cleaner at the block of flats told her about her husband’s alleged cheating.

In a separate incident in the same neighbourhood in July‚ a father stabbed his 11-year-old son and threw his 3-year-old boy off a balcony in Hillbrow after an eight-hour hostage drama.

Police said the couple had an argument in their flat at about 5pm on July 19.

“The man stabbed the woman; and also the 11-year-old boy. The woman [aged 33] managed to flee and the police were called‚” police said.

Upon arrival‚ the police discovered that the father‚ 41‚ was with his 3-year-old son on the balcony and was threatening to throw the child from the sixth floor.

Negotiations went on into the night‚ but at 1:15am the next day‚ the man flung himself and the toddler off the balcony.

The 3-year-old survived the plunge and the police also managed to rescue the 11-year-old boy.

*Not his real name.