KwaZulu-Natal Panel Beater Accidentally Burns 6 Customers’ Cars, Mzansi Laughs
- An attempt to get rid of rubbish spiralled out of control when a man accidentally torched his customers' cars
- The panel beater, from KwaZulu-Natal, started a fire to get rid of rubbish, but the fire spread to his clients' vehicles
- South Africans made jokes about the incident, and some wondered if he was a registered panel beater
For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a journalist at Briefly News in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Facebook
WATERLOO, KWAZULU-NATAL — South Africans discussed the legitimacy of a KwaZulu-Natal panel beater's business after a seemingly careless mistake cost him six of his customers' cars.
Fire destroys customers' vehicles
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the incident happened in the afternoon of 2 July 2025 on Crocodile Road in Waterloo. A Malawian man who operated a panel-beating business wanted to get rid of rubbish. He started a fire to burn the refuse.
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The flames started going out of control, and five of the vehicles he was working on caught fire. RUSA members arrived on the scene and removed the gas cylinders, which were close to the vehicles. Fortunately, nobody was injured, and the eThekwini Fire Department attended to the flames successfully.
Source: Facebook
Recent fires in South Africa
A total of 11 classrooms were destroyed in a fire in Riverlea, Johannesburg, on 28 April 2025. The MEC of Education, Matome Chiloane, suspected that vandalism was behind the fire
The South African police Service is investigating a case of arson which took place in Tshwane on 17 June. More than 20 buses were set alight at a bus depot in Mabopane, and the cause of the fire was unknown.
What did South Africans say?
Netizens commenting on Facebook discussed the incident.
Luya Ngcobo said:
"Now he's going to run to another province and operate there without paying damages."
Amith Balgobind said:
"The results of 'I got a friend that can do it cheap'."
Robin Goolab asked:
"Is the business even authorised to operate in a residential area?"
Mandidsa kaMazibuko Khoza said:
"I'm sure he's nowhere to be found. Now, if I were him, I'd be on my way back home."
Vikesh Sookdeo said:
"I don't think anybody with insurance will have their cars there."
Sammy Thwala said:
"This is what you call bad luck! Yoh, I feel sorry for the owners of those vehicles, especially if they didn't have insurance."
Mbiso Fana Mkhonta said:
"There must be some missing parts in the clients' cars that the mechanic has looted. Now he is trying to conceal evidence by setting the cars on fire, disguised as rubbish burning."
Family gutted by death of children in fire
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the family of four children who died in an incident in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, on 28 June was devastated. The family is still reeling from the loss.
The incident happened during a power outage. A candle was left unattended, and it burned the shack down.
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Source: Briefly News
