Mother of student who died in Durban lift shaft sues HOMii building for R4.3 million
THE mother of UKZN student Andiswa Mantshongo, who fell to her death in a lift shaft at the same Durban building where the Dlamini twins recently died, is suing HOMii for R4.3 million.
She speaks out about the pain of seeing history repeat itself and the lack of accountability from building management.
Andiswa Mantshongo, a Bachelor of Arts student, 20, fell to her death when she allegedly used the seventh floor lift of the HOMii building on February 16, 2023.
Her mom, Nontuthuko Mantshongo, 54, of Pietermaritzburg, said Andiswa was living in a student residence in Durban, and at the time of her death she had been visiting friends who lived in the HOMii building.
She said there was no accountability or communication from HOMii, which led her to pursue a civil case against them – suing them for R4.3 million.
“Andiswa was a mom. She had a three-year-old baby at the time of her death. Her baby is now six years old and she had to grow up without a mother.
“I remember receiving a call from police at the Durban Central police station after 6pm on the day Andiswa died. The police did not tell me what happened. They asked me if I had a daughter who lived in Durban. I said yes. They said I needed to come to Durban immediately.
“My gut told me something bad had happened. I initially thought that because the police had called, Andiswa might have been arrested after getting into trouble with the law. Andiswa’s father and uncle drove to Durban that night, and when they returned, my worst fear became a reality. My daughter was dead,” she said.
Nontuthuko said they were not given any explanation as to how Andiswa fell, and there was no accountability.
“To date, the owners of the building have not contacted us. We engaged an attorney a few months after her death to assist us. There were no signs indicating that the lift was not working. She fell from the seventh floor to the second floor, where her body was found.
“When I found out that the Dlamini twins suffered the same fate as my daughter, the pain of losing her overwhelmed me again. It opened wounds that I had to close in order to take care of Andiswa’s child.
“I ensured that I was in Durban for the march outside the HOMii building to support the Dlamini family, who are forced to feel the same pain I felt when I lost my daughter,” she said.
Her lawyer, Mhleli Mhlaba, said they launched the R4.3 million civil suit against HOMii in July 2023.
“There was no signage or indicators warning residents and guests that the lifts were out of order or unsafe. We believe this constitutes negligence on HOMii’s part. HOMii Lifestyle’s attorneys denied that the lift was poorly maintained.
“They claimed that the elevator buttons and mechanism had been disabled between the second and eleventh floors and that warning notices were displayed throughout the building. They also argued that Andiswa had entered the premises ‘at her own risk’.
“There are four respondents to the case, which include HOMii Life Style Pty Ltd, a company called K2018043790 South Africa Pty Ltd (which was not registered using any name), Garlicks Buildings Pty Ltd and the body corporate of the building.
“The case is at the ‘discovery’ stage at the moment, where we have requested and are waiting for documents we requested from the lawyers of the respondents. The next stage will be to approach the court for the matter to be set down for trial. We are unsure as to when that will be, but we will see the case to its end,” Mhlaba said.