A motorist has been left counting his losses after watching helplessly as his beloved BMW was reduced to a burnt-out shell in a terrifying fire in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, on Sunday, 5 July.
For 53-year-old Zenzele Ndinisisane, what was supposed to be a routine trip ended in heartbreak within minutes.
Ndinisisane said he had travelled from Bergville in KZN with two passengers and had experienced no mechanical problems with the vehicle during the journey.
After arriving in Vosloorus, he dropped off one of the two passengers before continuing to Thembisa, where he lives.
“We all got out of the car, and I opened the boot so that he could collect his bags,” he recalled.
“After closing the boot, we had only walked a few steps away when we suddenly noticed flames coming from the front of the car,” he said.
Realising something was terribly wrong, Ndinisisane rushed back to the vehicle and quickly disconnected the battery cables in an attempt to stop the fire.
“I thought I could save it, but the flames became bigger within seconds. There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t even rescue my belongings. The only thing I managed to save was my cellphone because it was already in my pocket.”
— Zenzele
Standing helplessly on the roadside, he watched as the flames swallowed his vehicle.
“I was in complete disbelief. One moment everything was normal, and the next my car was burning before my eyes.
“I don’t know what caused the fire. The vehicle had given me no problems at all. I’m still shocked and shattered,” he said.
The devastating loss has been made even worse by the financial burden he now faces.
“I’m still paying off the car, and unfortunately it wasn’t insured,” he said.
“I was supposed to continue to Thembisa after dropping off my passenger, but instead I ended up watching my car go up in smoke.”
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A passer-by who witnessed Thembinkosi Mbokazi’s incident said the fire spread with frightening speed.
“The flames were extremely intense. I’m just grateful that both the driver and his passenger had already stepped out of the vehicle. If they had still been inside, I don’t think they would have had enough time to escape because the fire spread so quickly.
“It’s heartbreaking to see someone lose a vehicle like that, but thankfully no one was injured. The car can be replaced, but lives cannot,” he said.
City of Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services spokesman Tikkie MacDonald said firefighters responded to a motor vehicle fire on the Barry Marais N3 on-ramp towards Johannesburg in Vosloorus at about 5.47 pm on Sunday.
“According to the driver, sparks were noticed coming from the vehicle before it caught fire,” said MacDonald.
He said the BMW was carrying three occupants travelling from Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal after dropping off a passenger in Vosloorus.
“All three occupants escaped unharmed before the fire spread. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, while EMPD officers attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation,” he said.
