VIDEO: 13 dead in Nigerian tragedy now home
A Sombre yet relieved atmosphere set the mood at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital when the remains of 13 people who died in the Synagogue Church of All Nations building collapse were received by their loved ones during a ceremony on Monday.
POLOKWANE – A Sombre yet relieved atmosphere set the mood at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital when the remains of 13 people who died in the Synagogue Church of All Nations building collapse were received by their loved ones during a ceremony on Monday.
As the 13 names were read out by the province’s director-general, Dr Phuthi Pheme, many of the bereaved mourned aloud on hearing their loved one’s names.
The 13 dead Limpopo residents were among the 81 South Africans who lost their lives on September 12.
Not all the bereaved families were able to gain closure, however, as the bodies of 11 people were yet to be brought home.
A family member of one of the victims, Matilda Mamafha, said she was relieved that the bodies of her family members, Robert Mamafha and Dimakatso Maponya, were among those that arrived in Polokwane on Monday.
She said the prolonged procedure to return the bodies to their families had been excruciating.
“The past two months following the sad news of the passing of our family members have been painful and stressful.
“Today we breathe a sigh of relief as we are reunited with our beloved family members, despite the fact that they are lifeless,” a distraught Mamafha said.
Cynthia Mongala from Sekhukhune(video interview in Sepedi) was widowed by the tragedy, and now has to look after five children on her own.
The body of her husband, Isaac Mongala, was one of the 11 returned. She said while they were relieved to receive his body, and could now have closure, life going forward would be extremely difficult as she was unemployed.
“There was no peace at home and we didn’t know what to do or what to say. My children are just coping through God’s grace. My husband went to Nigeria on September 10 and arrived there on the following day. We were communicating regularly.
“He called me and gave me his contact number in Nigeria and said he would phone me in the afternoon. Before ending the call, he said he loved me, and He loved God. The leadership of the church has promised to assist with my children’s education. We will bury my husband on Saturday,” she said.
Mawela and Munyadziwa Mbedzi (video interview), the parents of Mpho Mbedzi from Mashamba village near Louis Trichardt, said they had already come to terms with the death of their daughter, and said it was some comfort to them that she died in the house of the Lord.
“The family has accepted what happened. She left South Africa for Nigeria on September 10 and phoned us to say she had arrived safely. She called us again the following day. On September 12 when the building collapsed, we were not aware of what had happened until we received an SMS from the travel agency informing us about the collapse of the building. Mpho will be laid to rest on Saturday.”
Nthuseni Ramatsea, a relative of Mutangwa Suzan Ramatsea from Vhembe, said the family thanked God that her remains would be buried soon in Shayandima. She thanked the government for their assistance in seeing to it that the bodies of their loved ones were returned.
Department of social development spokesperson, Adéle van der Linde, said social workers had been assigned to work with the bereaved families, and survivors would be assisted by post-trauma counsellors.
Premier Stanley Mathabatha concurred with the bereaved families that the past two months had been bitterly painful for them.
“There is certainly nothing as painful as losing a loved one. It is even more painful when one is placed in a helpless position where one is unable to mourn, let alone bury, your loved one with the dignity they deserve,” he said.
While several families said they would be burying their recovered loved ones over the weekend in Sekhukhune, Capricorn, Vhembe and Mopani, A provincial memorial service will be held at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane tomorrow (Thursday).
