Non-functional lift was not adequately blocked off, labour inspectors find after fatal Durban CBD incident
The Labour department has said a preliminary probe has found that a non-functional lift shaft at the Homii building was not adequately cordoned off. The Dlamini twins fell into the lift shaft.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo
Labour inspectors investigating the lift incident at the HOMii Lifestyle building in the Durban CBD, in which a child died and his twin sister was seriously injured, have found that the non-functional lift had not been adequately blocked off.
There was also a lack of warning signs to deter entry into the lift.
According to the family, seven-year-old Dlamini twins Aphelele and his sister Aphile were playing in the apartment complex on Dr Pixley ka Seme Street on October 18 when the incident happened. Aphelele died at the scene while Aphile remains in hospital.
A protest march was held outside the building on Monday to call for accountability from the building management.
In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Employment and Labour said its Inspection and Enforcement Services branch in KwaZulu-Natal has initiated an investigation in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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HOMii management confirmed earlier this week that CCTV footage of the incident had been handed over to the police.
The department said the KZN Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Inspector, Sandile Kubheka, on Wednesday briefed Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Jomo Sibiya, about the incident.
“On 18 October 2025 at 20:30, the Dlamini siblings Aphelele and Aphile were reported to be playing on the fourth floor and, in the process, fell into an unsecured lift shaft of a non-functional lift.
“A preliminary inspector's report has determined that the lift was non-operational and that access to the lift shaft was insufficiently secured,” the statement said.
During the briefing held at the Department’s Provincial Office in Durban, Kubheka said: “There was a lack of proper isolation and barricading at the lift entrance, as well as a failure to post warning signs to deter entry. The unsecured doors of the lift posed a significant risk, particularly to residents, including children.
“Additionally, the management systems for building maintenance and safety do not comply with safety regulations as stipulated by the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)”.
Kubheka said documents were being looked at to assess the conduct of the building owner in respect of management of the lift when viewed against the requirements of the Lift, Escalator, and Passenger Conveyer Regulation, and incorporated health and safety standards.
“The incident indicates potential negligence in maintenance and safety management by the building owner,” he said.