MAVULA – A family of Mavula halted funeral proceedings at the eleventh hour after a shocking discovery that the funeral parlour had given them the wrong body.
The incident occurred yesterday at Mavula, under Mayiwane Inkhundla in northern Hhohho.
A family member who spoke to this publication anonymously said their grandmother, Lindiwe Nkambule, died on January 12 at her homestead. The family member said due to the ongoing heavy rains that made roads impassable, the deceased was only taken to the mortuary the following day, Tuesday.
“The hearse failed to navigate the bad roads to reach her homestead to fetch her,” the family member said.
She said the Nkambule family met to plan the burial, which was scheduled for yesterday following a vigil on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, the body was fetched from the mortuary, a process facilitated by Tswelopelo Funeral Parlour.
“Around 11pm, when the elders were preparing for the body viewing, they were shocked to discover that it was not our grandmother,” she said.
She explained that the woman in the casket appeared older and was of a heavier build than their grandmother.
“Our grandmother was in her mid-60s and the woman in the coffin was very old,” she added.
The family reported the incident to Tswelopelo Funeral Parlour and the body was returned to the mortuary.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that there were no other female bodies on the shelves. A frantic search to locate our grandmother’s remains began,” she said.
The family member said it was soon discovered that another female body, belonging to a family from Dvokolwako, had been collected on Friday, before the Nkambule family’s body was fetched on Saturday.
“The Dvokolwako family was asked if they were sure the person they buried was indeed their relative. Fortunately, one family member came forward and mentioned that she had been unsure and tried to tell her family, but they dismissed her,” the family member said.
She said the Dvokolwako family member was asked to describe her mother and the description matched the body that had been mistakenly given to the Nkambule family. Throughout Saturday night and early yesterday morning, the Nkambule family tried to make arrangements for a proper burial, only to learn that the Dvokolwako family had already buried their grandmother on Saturday morning.
“We were told the Dvokolwako family had reported the matter to their traditional authorities, who agreed that Nkambule’s body should be exhumed. Both families engaged in discussions to exhume the body, but they were informed that government laws do not allow this without a High Court order,” she said.
The family member said mourners were asked to stay while these engagements took place, with the hope that the funeral could proceed immediately if successful. However, after learning of the required court process, the mourners were dismissed and the funeral was postponed indefinitely.
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