Victims of the wall collapse in KwaMashu identified

Two retaining walls came down onto two homes during this morning’s rains. Rescuers worked for hours to get to their bodies.

The two men have been identified as 22-year-old Simo Mkhize and 25-year-old Nathi Mbatha.

Mkhize and Mbatha’s visibly shaken family watched from the sidelines as dozens of rescue workers drilled and dug through the rubble in an 11-hour operation.

When their bodies were eventually pulled out, they became hysterical.

NOW READ: WATCH: Rescuers recover bodies under collapsed wall in KwaMashu

Mkhize's cousin, Abongile Mhlongo told Newswatch he was a local rank manager.

She says  Mbatha had just completed his final year studying law. "It's disastrous, can you imagine that you thinking someone is sleeping there and then a whole wall is top of them. What goes through their mind." 

"We didn't want to believe they were inside, we were hoping they weren't inside."