An inquest into the death of a 31-year-old woman and her four children who died after a fire gutted their recently purchased home in Ormonde south of Johannesburg in July 2011 is back in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.

Suraya Deedat and her children aged 6 months to four years-old died of smoke inhalation after one of the children’s pillows fell onto an electric heater in their room.

Suraya’s husband Naeem who survived the fire and was trapped in the bathroom shouted through the window for help.

Naeem was the sole survivor.

His neighbour, Ashley Jones, used an angle grinder to remove the burglar bars to free him.

In November 2017, an inquest into allegations Naeem was somehow involved in their deaths was held at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

However, Magistrate Botha ruled that the State’s evidence was inconclusive to find any person responsible for the fire.

Suraya’s family who have not recovered from their deaths contacted civil rights organisation, AfriForum, early last year trying to get justice for nine years.

They believe circumstances that led to Suraya’s and her children’s deaths were suspicious.

Afriforums Advocate Gerrie Nel is questioning the fire chief about how the fire started in the inquest on Tuesday.

Reporting from the Johannesburg Magistrates Court, Radio Islam’s Hoosein Mohammed says Nel is focusing on how the fire spread from the heater to the rest of the house.

Faizel Patel – 18/02/2020

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)