INLSA
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Anxious family members of Peter Mlambo, 45, gathered at a gravesite near the family homestead in Ubombo on Thursday for the exhumation of an unidentified body buried in their deceased loved one’s place.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health granted an order to exhume the body of the unidentified man from a private burial plot following the mix-up at the Magwaza Mapahalala (Gale) Street Mortuary.
Mlambo died after being hit by a taxi in Inanda on September 29. His body had been tagged as number 1 512, but staff released the body of an unidentified man, tagged 1 412, to the family.
The mix-up, which was discovered two weeks ago, has left Mlambo’s family shaken after they were informed that they had buried the wrong body in Ubombo – that of the unidentified man and not their loved one. The burial took place three months ago.
They were told an administrative bungle had resulted in the wrong body being released.
KZN Department of Health spokesman, Chris Maxon, confirmed the exhumation order had been granted at the Ubombo Magistrate’s Court and the body had been exhumed. He said the identity of the body was still unknown.
Mlambo’s relative, Thulani Mdluli, said he had met the mortuary manager on Wednesday and was told that the body of the unidentified man would be exhumed. Officials from the mortuary made the more than 400km trip from Durban.
Mdluli said health authorities were unsure when his cousin’s body would be transported to Umbombo for burial.
He said he had spent more than R30 000 on funeral costs for the wrong body and did not have money for a second funeral.
“They have agreed to compensate me for the funeral. They said they hope to take my cousin’s body to our homestead sometime next week.
“This really goes against our religion and culture – to keep a body for so long. But I have no choice. We don’t have money to transport the body. It is very expensive.
“We just have to wait. Hopefully, Peter can be finally laid to rest by next weekend.”
He said they had not discussed further compensation for pain and suffering. This, he said, would be negotiated after the funeral.
Co-ordinator for the Medical Rights Advocacy Network, Poonitha Naidoo, who is assisting Mdluli to secure legal representation, said the family were extremely distressed by the bungle.
Naidoo said: “This family is in mourning and Thulani has yet to gather the elders in the family to plan what must be done next. They are forced into a cultural crisis for which no solution exists.”
She criticised the Department of Health for not securing counselling for the family and for failing to identify the interred body.
“There may be a family out there who are unaware that their loved one is deceased.
“I am considering the offers for legal representation for the family… My plea to the department is to sort out the mess they have caused without intimidating family members.” – Daily News
Originally posted here:
Body dug up after mortuary error