One of the Dlamini twins who fell down a lift shaft at the Homii flats in Durban’s CBD has awoken from a coma.
Aphelele and Aphile fell down the lift shaft in October during repairs in the block of flats their family resides in. Aphelele, the little boy, died at the scene, while Aphile was admitted to Addington Hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. The eight-year-old underwent multiple surgeries after incurring head, spinal and arm injuries.
The incident sparked widespread public outrage, with scores of South Africans calling for accountability from Homii management. Social movements, community organisations and public figures joined a protest demanding justice for the twins and transparency around the circumstances that led to the fall.
Homii management was initially accused of failing to cooperate with the police investigation. However, following the protest, the company confirmed that it had handed over CCTV footage of the incident to authorities.
The Department of Employment and Labour stated that preliminary findings indicated the non-functional lift had not been properly blocked off at the time of the incident. Investigations by both the department and the police are ongoing, according to The Mercury.
This week, the twins’ father, Khaya Dlamini, shared an update on his Facebook account, expressing both his joy and gratitude for the public’s support.
“Greetings, everyone. The good news is… Aphile has regained consciousness and is out of the coma. We are grateful for the prayers. We are grateful for the support. Above all, we thank the Almighty.”
