Boy, 12, dies in Walmer shack fire

A 12-year-old boy has died in a shack fire in Walmer Township's Airport Valley that has also left 30 people homeless.

The Sunday night fire started at one of the shacks near Noluthando's tavern, before spreading to five other shacks that housed about 30 people including the boy who died, Lelethu Pakani, who lived with his mother, Xolelwa.

The cause of the fire is unknown. 

Xolelwa, who described her son as well-mannered and kind, said their shack was engulfed by the fire while she had walked to the shop, leaving Lelethu at his friend's home in the neighbourhood.

She said she had assumed that he was still out at his friend's home when the fire happened.

"When I came back from the shop, I didn't know he was inside. I only realised when we started looking for him.  

"It's very hard to accept the matter," she said.

One of the shacks that burned down belonged to tavern owner Noluthando Ponti and housed 11 adults and 11 children.

"I'm very saddened by this because that shack was a home to so many people who had nowhere else to go," she said. 

"We couldn't get anything out of there, not even my tavern stock was recovered." 

The fire wounded two people, including Ponti's husband Nkululo Roqwana, who tried putting the fire out alongside Simthandile Rasmeni, who was hospitalised.