Dignity denied: DNA delays stall burial of shack fire victims
What began as a tragedy has become a drawn-out nightmare: four children lost, and their families still unable to lay them to rest.
Nearly four weeks after a shack fire in Vila Lisa claimed the lives of four children, the Mthabela and Shabalala families are still waiting to bury their loved ones because DNA testing delays continue to hold up the release of the remains.
The fire, which broke out during load-shedding on the night of June 27, destroyed two adjacent shacks and killed four children aged between four and 14. Now, instead of finding closure, the families are caught in limbo, trapped between grief and an unbearable wait. The young victims were Anele Shabalala (14), Liyakha Shabalala (five) and brothers, Nkazimulo and Mfanelo Shabalala, aged four.
“Our pain hasn’t stopped. How can it when we haven’t even buried them?” says Nomfundo Shabalala, sister to Anele and Liyakha.
“Every day is a reminder that they’re gone, but not yet at peace.”
According to Sergeant Nkemeleng Mabaula, the spokesperson for the Dawn Park SAPS, the bodies are still held pending DNA test results required for formal identification.
“Due to the severity of the fire and the condition of the remains, DNA testing was necessary to correctly match each child to their family. The process is still under investigation and may take additional time.”
Also Read: Villa Liza family crushed by guilt over fire that killed four children
For the devastated families, time is a wound that won’t heal.
“We’re stuck. Stuck between death and goodbye. It feels like we’re being punished again and again.
“The emotional weight of the delay is growing heavier by the day. Without funerals, there have been no rituals. No closure. No chance to say goodbye.
“We’re told to be patient, but our children are lying in a morgue. We’re not sleeping at peace. Every knock on the door we think might be news, but it’s not.”
Shabalala said they had to postpone memorial services, and community members who had initially offered support are also growing anxious.
“It’s been almost a month. These are children. They deserve dignity in death. Right now, we feel forgotten.”
Ntanteza Ntuli, the grandmother of Nkazimulo and Mfanelo, said the delay has deepened the trauma for the family, who were already struggling with guilt after the fire broke out.
“We already blamed ourselves for leaving the house that night. Now, we feel like we’re failing them again. We couldn’t save them. Now, we can’t even bury them.
“We just want to bury them with dignity. We want to lay flowers, sing songs and give them peace. We want to start healing. But how can we, when we can’t even say goodbye?”
Also Read: Family seeks help to bury young fire victims
