Durban protest erupts as family demands justice for Dlamini twins in HOMii lift shaft tragedy

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the HOMii Lifestyle building in Durban on Monday, calling for justice for the Dlamini twins who fell into a lift shaft earlier this month.

The protest, marked by anger and grief, quickly turned tense as police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd after demonstrators refused to leave the area. Many of them held placards demanding accountability from the building’s management and justice for the grieving Dlamini family.

The tragedy occurred on 18 October 2025, when the twins, Aphelele and Aphile Dlamini, reportedly fell into a lift shaft from the fourth floor of the HOMii Lifestyle building located in Durban’s central business district. Seven-year-old Aphelele died from his injuries, while his twin sister Aphile remains in critical condition in hospital.

Their father, Khaya Dlamini, said the twins would have celebrated their eighth birthday on Monday, turning what should have been a joyful day into one filled with heartbreak. “It hurts knowing that we should be celebrating their birthday, but instead we are mourning,” he said.

Dlamini also accused the Homii Lifestyle management of showing no compassion towards his family since the tragedy. He said no representative from the company has visited him or his wife to offer condolences or assistance.

According to Dlamini, when he went to the security office to request CCTV footage of the incident, he was denied access. “All they offered me was a grocery bag and a teddy bear, which I refused,” he said. “We deserve justice, and we also want to see the footage. Someone at HOMii must be held accountable.

The incident has reignited concerns about safety standards at the building. In a separate but similar tragedy, a Pietermaritzburg family is currently suing Homii Lifestyle after their daughter, a second-year student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, died in February 2023 when she also fell down a lift shaft in the same Durban building.

Community members and activists are now demanding a full investigation, saying these repeated incidents point to possible negligence by the building’s management and a lack of proper safety measures to protect residents.