'I'm told my brother jumped out of the building:' Search for dad of 5 after fire

A father of five who moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg to find work is among those who lived in the city centre building that caught alight in the early hours of Thursday.

Sihle Kenneth Dube, who is in his early 40s, jumped out of the burning building, his sister Ethel Jack was told. It is unclear what happened to him after that. 

“He lived on the third floor at the far end. I regularly visited him. We were speaking just yesterday, checking up on each other,” said Jack, who lives in Booysens.

“He’s a qualified lawyer but he works for Unilever.” 

He has five children who stay with his wife in KwaZulu-Natal.

Dube came from Newcastle seeking greener pastures but could not afford a better place, she said.

“It’s an unhealthy and dirty place,” Jack said of the building.

Survivor Saidi Jumar, who came to South Africa from Tanzania last year, said he was distraught but relieved to be alive. He lived on the first floor and awoke in time to rush out, but did not have time to save any of his belongings.

“All my things are gone, including my money, I had R2k with me but I can’t get it back, it was my last money. My clothes, food, shelter and everything is gone.”

He was worried he might be sacked for not being at work on Thursday. “I don’t have a plan. I worked at a shop close by. I don’t think I still have a job.”

Showing the burn wound to his hand, he said: “I hurt myself coming out, it’s very painful.”

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