Funerals postponed as sisters charged with children's fire deaths can't afford bail

The family of five children who died in a shack fire after they were allegedly left alone overnight at the Itireleng informal settlement near Laudium in Pretoria are feeling despair as their funerals will have to be postponed again.

On Friday, the Atteridgville magistrate's court was expecting to hear a report from correctional services on whether the two sisters, who face five counts of culpable homicide and child neglect, are suitable candidates to be considered for release on correctional supervision, which does not carry a financial cost. 

Lindiwe Machaka, 39, is the grandmother to two of the children, one aged less than a year and another aged two. Zanele Machaka, 37, is the mother of the three other children.

The two women said they could not afford bail, set at R5,000 each.

Prosecutor Lucas Maake told the court the report was not yet ready as the correctional officers had advised him they needed two weeks to assemble the required information.

While it is unclear with whom the women would stay if they are released, as the Laudium family previously told the media they did not want to take them in, Maake said the officials needed to verify addresses in Mpumalanga.

Their defence lawyer Vuyisile Silimela asked the court to consider lowering the bail amount, saying the funeral could not go ahead if the women were not released. At their previous appearance, they said they could afford R500.

Magistrate Anita Johnson refused to lower the amount, citing the seriousness of the case as five children's lives had been lost.

It is alleged that on August 27 the women locked the five children inside their shack and went to a nearby tavern. The shack caught fire and the children died. The women were arrested at the tavern the same day.

The matter has been postponed to September 21 for the report to be made available.

The family who thought they were going to lay the children to rest this weekend were disappointed.

Speaking outside court, family member Johanna Masongwane said she was at a loss for words. The process was a huge strain as they had thought they would be able to bury the children.

Masongwane, with her son Johannes, who is the father of three of the children, travelled from Itireleng to attend court proceedings. She said they are struggling to afford the R48 taxi fare.

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