DAY 52: STILL NO CORPSE

MANZINI - Today marks exactly 52 days without a breakthrough in the case of the missing corpse of Gladness Kimaro Edje.

Edje was a businesswoman from Tanzania and she died while being treated for symptoms of COVID-19. Her body was taken to the National TB Hospital at Moneni, where it went missing on August 9, 2020.

The corpse of the late businesswoman was allegedly claimed by unknown people at the tuberculosis (TB) hospital’s morgue. The unknown people are said to have posed as her family members when claiming her corpse and when the actual relatives arrived, they found that the body had already been claimed.

Investigation 

Police and the Ministry of Health launched a full-scale investigation into the matter, but there has been no breakthrough, despite that the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) put up a reward of E50 000 for information that could lead to the recovery of the missing corpse.

The Director of Health Services, Dr Vusi Magagula, said as a ministry, they had done internal investigations and were waiting for a police report. 

“Otherwise, someone has to answer for the incident,” the director said.

Again, he highlighted that they had also tightened some of the gaps which were there and in other facilities to avoid a similar incident. 

As a result, he said if a similar incident could take place in the future, their recommendation to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) would be harsh. On the other hand, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, said the police were still anticipating making a breakthrough in their investigations. 

She said as an organisation they were pleading with the public to come forth with information and whoever shared information that would lead to the recovery of the corpse would be offered the E50 000 reward.

Following the disappearance of the corpse, Edje family had to abandon her funeral at the 11th hour. According to a death notice published leading to the discovery that the body was missing, friends and relatives of the deceased were informed of her passing on and that her memorial service was slated for Friday August 29, 2020 at the God’s Glory Ministry in Mbabane and she was supposed to be laid to rest at Ngwane Park Cemetery, Manzini.

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