Artist dies in inferno
2003-03-09 21:29
Jacqui Steeneveldt
Johannesburg - "Art is my escape, but at the same time a prison I cannot escape from."
Fellow artists and friends of Nhlanhla Xaba remembered these words as they were standing before the burnt remains of the Artist Proof Studio in Newtown, Johannesburg.
Xaba, 43, a world renowned artist, died in the inferno early on Sunday morning despite a two-hour struggle by fire fighters from three stations to bring the fire under control.
"The fire was brought under control at about 04:30. An investigation will determine whether the fire started because of an electrical short circuit," Malcolm Midgely, spokesperson for Johannesburg emergency services, said.
- Beeld