LEFT IN PAIN

 

The family of Mago Kepatile from D’Kar in the Gantsi District, who died after suffering severe burns in a bush fire in 2023, remains haunted by the tragedy.

They say their grief is deepened by the absence of closure, leaving them struggling to come to terms with his death.

Mago, who was 40 at the time of his death, worked on a farm owned by Boeta Roux of Initiative Holdings Pty.

Three years later, his family says promises made to his parents and children remain unfulfilled.

Soso Ditshupo Morris, 30, the deceased's brother, said Roux collected Mago from his home, telling them he was going to work on cattle kraals at his farm, and Mago went with another family friend, Robert Xemekuu.

According to Morris, while the two men were working on the kraals, a fire broke out.

He said when Roux realised the fire had become a danger, he removed the two men from where they had been staying to the area affected by the fire.

Morris said Mago and Robert had no water or protective equipment to fight the blaze and resorted to using tree branches to contain it.

“They tried to put it out, but failed. Robert managed to escape, but Mago could not,” Morris said.

Morris said a cousin, James, who had come from another farm, eventually found Mago unconscious and rushed him to Gantsi Primary Hospital.

Mago was later transferred to Marina Hospital in a private ambulance, which, according to Morris, was paid for by Roux, saying that to date, they do not understand why that was the case.

They were later informed that the injuries were very severe, and that Mago’s internal organs were affected.

“He was not eating, and he was not speaking. We were told that his internal organs had been burnt and he died three days later,” Morris said. “The fire was huge. We tried to put it out but failed. While we were busy, we realised it was circling us. We tried to run, but it was already too late for Mago,” Xemekuu corroborated.

Xemekuu said Mago struggled to escape because of a leg injury.

“He could not run like me. The fire caught up with him and burnt him badly. When I ran, I later realised that our boss was gone. It did not make sense,” he said.

Xemekuu said he too was injured during the incident and continues to suffer health problems, which he attributes to the fire.

He said his lungs and eyes were affected and that he has struggled to support his children because of his ill health.

“Even now, almost three years later, the boss has not called me or checked on me. He only paid me P1 500 and nothing more. I need him to take responsibility,” he said.

Morris said the family had no insurance and eventually buried Mago with financial assistance from donations and social workers.

“What pains us is that Roux says Mago was his employee and was insured through the company. If he was insured, why was the family left to bury him through donations?

We want him to give us a contract to prove that Mago was his employee and tell us how long he worked there,” Morris said.

He said Roux had visited the family several times after Mago’s death and allegedly promised to look after the children until they completed school, build a house for the parents and compensate the family.

However, to date, such promises have not been fulfilled.

“He has never set foot in the yard after the burial. We always see him and see his plane; life has gone on for him while this family is still in pain,” he said.

Morris said Mago’s mother in particular is stressed by the lack of closure.

“She is still stressed because she keeps asking why he has not come to speak to her. She is hurting and wants to sit down with him so they can talk”, Morris said.

Contacted for comment this week, Roux confirmed that he was aware of the incident and said he submitted insurance paperwork to the insurer two years ago.

He did not know how far the process had gone but promised to make a follow-up. Roux declined to discuss the family's allegations regarding the aftermath of the incident, saying he had dealt with it through the Ministry of Labour.

Meanwhile, a document in the possession of this publication shows that the Ministry of Labour ruled that Mago's parents should each receive P11 000, while his five children should each receive P10 000, bringing the total compensation to P72 000.

However, Morris says the family feels this will not be enough, saying they want clarity on Mago's employment, the insurance claim and what happened after the fire.

“We are asking for help because there is unfairness here. He was insured, but his family buried him through donations. We need closure. We need him to come to the family and explain what happened, or was one of our own sacrificed?

Life has gone on for everyone else, but Mago's parents are still living with this pain,” he said.