Distraught dad said he was insulted by Mr Naidoo's grocery bag and teddy bear following the deadly lift tragedy

AFTER losing a child and with another fighting for their life, a Durban father has recounted his frustrating attempts to obtain security footage and his outrage at receiving only a grocery bag and teddy bear as a gesture of condolence from a “Mr Naidoo”.

Khaya Dlamini said he was facing death threats as he sought justice for his twin children who fell down a lift shaft at their HOMii residence.

Despite the threats, he is determined to hold the building management accountable and prevent similar tragedies. 

His eight-year-old twins, Aphile and Aphelele Dlamini, fell into an elevator shaft on the fourth floor of the block of flats, in the Durban CBD, on October 18. Aphelele died while Aphile is still in a coma.

The family had moved into the building three months ago. 

He said the lifts had not been working from the time they had moved in.

“We moved to the building because of the easy access to transport for the children to go to school, and for my wife and I to travel to work. 

“The building looked well maintained on the first visit, and it was only until we moved in that we realised it was not in a good condition.

“All the lifts were not working. There were no signs indicating that it was out of order. The lift is five doors away from the entrance of my apartment.”

Dlamini told the POST he was not afraid to pursue justice.

He said the death threats came after Monday’s mass march from the HOMii apartment building in Dr Pixley Kaseme Street to the HOMii head office in Durban central, where they demanded that HOMii release the footage they were allegedly withholding from the police and the family.

“I received random messages on Facebook. The posters have hidden their identities. They said they knew which hospital Aphile was being treated at, and that they would kill her if I did not close the case by Friday.

“I refuse to live in fear of those threats, which I believe are coming from the owner of the building. I am not backing down. The threats have not shaken me. I am not afraid. I want justice. Whoever they are and no matter how rich or well-connected they may be, will not deter me,” he said.

“Today (Tuesday) is 11 days since Aphile has been in a coma. She is showing little improvement. My son was laid to rest on Saturday. It has been a difficult two weeks,” Dlamini added.

He claimed that after the tragedy, the management team at the building turned a blind eye to what had happened.

“The police and the law have failed me. The police came to the building four days after the incident. By that time, the blood was already cleaned and evidence was tampered with. The morning after the incident, I went to the security office at the building and requested the surveillance footage.

“The head of security said they were looking at it and would let me know if I could view it. I did not get feedback, so I kept calling him. I was sent an address to meet them for the footage, but because the detective was unavailable, they said they could not release the footage to me. I spoke to a man named Mr Naidoo. After the meeting, Mr Naidoo gave me a grocery bag and a teddy bear.

“I was too angry when I saw that. I told him it was an insult and I walked out. Five days after the incident, I received a random WhatsApp message. It was from a representative of HOMii, who said they would like to pay their respects and condolences.

"Is this how you reach out to a person who lost a child? They know where I live. They could have come to our house. I asked for their address and name, and questioned if this was the response they were giving a parent who had lost his child, with another fighting for her life. The message was left on read,” Dlamini said.

He said he shared his plight on social media which sparked nationwide outrage.

“On Monday was the twins' birthday and the protest. A man named Michael came out and accepted the memorandum at HOMii. He signed it and said they accepted the complaint. The memorandum demanded that the footage be released. He said they were going to release it today (Tuesday), but nobody has contacted me since then.

“We also marched to the Durban Central police station. The KZN police spokesperson was present during the march. I asked him what the response time for the police to a crime or incident scene was, when someone has lost their life. He said 30 minutes. 

"I then asked him why the police only came on Wednesday, four days after the incident. He said the police were at fault and they needed to answer for it. I am planning to go to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for assistance,” he added.

He said the twins' birthday gifts, a large unicorn teddy bear for Aphele and a remote control car for Aphelele, were still on their beds at the apartment.

In May 2017, it was reported that HOMii was launched as a tech-based residential and lifestyle development solution for Durbanites.

At the time the Chief Executive Officer of HOMii, Viren Mungul, said HOMii was part of the city’s vision of growing the economy and enjoying a high-quality life with equal opportunities.

“It offers safe, convenient and affordable living options with a range of stylish rooms to choose from, modern facilities and a social atmosphere. It would definitely put Durban on the map,” he said.

Also at that time, HOMii chairman Leo Chetty said this was an exciting breakthrough for Durban.

“HOMIii will not only contribute to the urgent accommodation needs in the city but its design technology and location all contribute to the city’s vision of urban regeneration and economic activity. We will help support the city with more employment opportunities and allow the city’s people to one day invest in their future.”

However, it could not be established whether Mungul and Chetty are still associated with HOMIii.

Efforts to contact Chetty and his legal advisor were unsuccessful.

Clarification and apology 

The article published in the POST (October 29 to November 2 edition) titled “Distraught dad said he was insulted by Mr Naidoo’s grocery bag and teddy bear following the deadly lift tragedy” included a sidebar captioned “In 2017, HOMii launched in Durban.”

That sidebar reported that in May 2017, HOMii was launched as a technology-based residential and lifestyle development initiative aimed at providing affordable accommodation solutions for Durban residents. 

At that time, Mr Viren Mungul, who served as Chief Executive Officer of HOMii, was quoted as stating that HOMii formed part of the city’s vision of promoting economic growth and enhancing quality of life through equal opportunities.

It has since been brought to our attention, through correspondence from Mr Mungul’s legal representatives, that his association with the entity trading as HOMii (“HOMii”) was limited to the period between February 2017 and June 2019. Mr Mungul formally and permanently ceased all involvement with HOMii in June 2019. 

From that date onward, he has had no shareholding interest, no managerial, advisory, or operational role, and no connection whatsoever with the entity’s business, projects, or activities.

The tragic incident referenced in the POST article is reported to have occurred on October 18, 2025, more than six years after Mr Mungul’s departure from HOMii. Mr Mungul has confirmed that he has had no knowledge of, participation in, or connection to the events described in the article, nor any involvement in HOMii’s operations or management since June 2019. Any actions, practices, or incidents that have taken place subsequent to his departure are wholly independent of him.

The POST acknowledges this clarification and unreservedly apologises to Mr Mungul for any inconvenience, misperception, or reputational harm that may have arisen as a result of the publication. The reference to his prior role was made solely in a historical context and was not intended to suggest any current association or responsibility for the events described.

THE POST