Mother’s anguish as DNA results delay prevents her son’s burial

A 90-year-old mother is in despair because outstanding DNA results are preventing her from burying her son who died almost nine months ago.

What Nomsosi Nzonya believes to be her son Dumisani Mboyana’s body was found in a bush in La Mercy in October last year, but since it was so badly decomposed the family could not make an accurate identification.

They were told they had to wait for DNA results to confirm it was Dumisani’s body before it could be released, something Nomsosi expected to be completed within three months.

Realising the wait would be too long, the family then opted for private DNA testing, but they were allegedly told by detective Naicker of Tongaat Saps that even if they do, the state will still wait for its own results.

Having travelled from her home in the Eastern Cape, Nomsosi sat outside the Tongaat police station last Friday morning to plead for the release of her son’s body.

“Dumisani had three small children, but because no funeral took place they still think he is alive and asked to be taken to Durban so that they can meet their father. Now how do you begin explaining all this to a six-year-old?,” Nomsosi said.

Speaking to the Courier on Tuesday morning, sister-in-law Vuyiseka said they were told the laboratory in Pretoria confirmed they had received the DNA specimens, but since they were not labelled urgent they are still kept there.

“On Friday they agreed we could take the private laboratory route but a detective has to go and fetch specimens so they can be sent to the private lab. We don’t know how much will this cost, but it’s a risk we’re willing to take.

“We don’t know if we will be able to afford it, but what we know is that God always provides.

Ludalasi youth in the Eastern Cape where Dumisani was born and the Shaka’s Head community where he lived at the time of his death, have started to collect funds and we hope we will raise enough to pay for the lab,” said Vuyiseka.

Tongaat Saps station commander, colonel Santha Moodley, said a doctor was packaging the samples and as soon as it was ready he would contact the investigator.

“The investigator will assist in transporting the sample to the private lab to prevent contamination, but the family must say which lab they will use as they will bear the cost for the private analysis,” said Moodley.

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