Durban chef Ayakha Godlwana honoured for rescuing woman from restaurant fire

A Durban chef named Ayakha Godlwana demonstrated extraordinary bravery when he rescued the owner of a landmark restaurant from a burning building. The Delphi Greek Taverna suffered a massive fire that engulfed the entire structure, forcing the owners, Doddy Teranes and her siblings Manuel and Maria, to flee in a panic. Doddy had been checking on her pet parrot when smoke began filling the room, causing her to cry out for help.

Her brother Manuel, who was downstairs, had grabbed a hose pipe to try and control the flames. Godlwana, a 32-year-old chef from Morningside, was alerted by staff at a nearby cafe that a fire was raging. He rushed to the Delphi Greek Taverna, only to find the building already engulfed in flames and the door to Maria's upstairs room locked.

Despite his inexperience, Godlwana managed to secure the keys from Maria and made his way up the stairs, battling thick smoke and his own panic. Upon entering Maria's room, he discovered her sister trapped inside, and despite his own fear of the flames and smoke, he managed to coax her down the stairs. He brought her outside, encouraging her to crawl towards him while he sprayed water onto the ceiling to help her locate the exit.

Once outside, Godlwana handed her back to Maria, who had managed to get the door open just in time. Godlwana then returned to the restaurant, attempting to prevent the fire from spreading to the gas bottles. As he worked to contain the blaze, the door to the restaurant suddenly closed behind him, leaving him in darkness and smoke.

Overcoming his fear, Godlwana used his strength and determination to kick down the door and escape, panting for breath and grateful to be alive. He later met up with the Teranes family, who expressed their gratitude for his heroic actions. The eThekwini Municipality praised the quick response of the Fire Services, attributing the quick containment of the fire to their prompt arrival and the deployment of four hose lines and four firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus. The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this stage.