A mother of two is desperately seeking public assistance to bury her husband who passed away in late January.

According to the widow, Lorencia Ngutshwane, her husband, Joas Mabota, died on January 27 while working as a gardener in White River.

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“We were informed of his death by the police, who told us he slipped and fell into water. We are still unsure if it was a dam or a swimming pool because the police did not provide full details. Even getting the body released to us was a challenge. They even refused to give us the autopsy report which would have helped us understand how he died,” she said.

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Ngutshwane said the body is currently at the Themba Hospital mortuary. As the family’s sole breadwinner, Mabota’s absence left them without the means to afford an undertaker.

“The hospital has told us we need to move his body from the premises before Friday, February 20, but the unfortunate part is that we have nowhere to take him. I want him to have a decent funeral. I am pleading with members of the public to help so I can bury him with dignity,” she added.

Ngutshwane is also requesting support from local undertakers. Anyone able to help can contact the family directly on 066 403 9637.