Durban twin regains consciousness after tragic lift shaft accident in CBD flat
Durban father Khaya Dlamini with his twins Aphile and Aphelele. In a tragic lift shaft incident last month, Aphelele died and Aphile was severely injured.
Image: Khaya Dlamini / Facebook
The surviving Dlamini twin has regained consciousness after falling into a lift shaft at Homii Flats in Durban, her father confirmed in a message on social media on Saturday.
The update comes as the family continues to seek accountability for the incident, which occurred last month and claimed the life of her twin brother, Aphelele.
In a public message shared on Facebook, Khaya Dlamini wrote: “The good news is Aphile is awake; she is out of the coma. We thank you for the prayers. We thank you for the support. Above everything, we thank God.”
This comes after the eight-year-old Aphile and her twin brother, Aphelele, fell from the fourth floor into an open lift shaft at the Durban apartment building last month. Aphelele died at the scene, while his sister suffered severe head, spine and arm injuries and was unable to breathe on her own. She underwent multiple surgeries.
According to Dlamini, the shaft doors were broken and unsecured on the day the twins fell.
A week earlier, following one of her operations, Dlamini had reported that “the operation went well” and thanked medical staff “for the excellent work” adding that the family was grateful for the public’s ongoing support.
In a recent reflection shared on social media, Dlamini remembered his son, Aphelele, and his dream of becoming an engineer.
The tragedy led to a march on October 27, on the twins’ birthday, where residents, civil society groups and supporters gathered outside the Durban CBD building to demand action.
Attendees called for safety compliance, proper maintenance records and clearer communication from the building’s owners. The march followed concerns raised by another mother, Nontuthukho Mantshongo, whose daughter died in a similar lift-related fall at the same building in February 2023.
In a statement last month, HOMii management confirmed that CCTV footage from the incident had been handed over to the police. The company also expressed their condolences to the Dlamini family.
The Department of Employment and Labour has said preliminary investigations revealed that the non-functional lift had not been adequately blocked off.
The investigations by the department and the police are ongoing.