Daily Sun (July 28 2014) - FIRST the family found out that Lebo's body had been stolen from the mortuary. But a worse shock was to come.
WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT, THEIR RELATIVE LIES BURIED IN A GRAVE THEY NEVER WANTED OR APPROVED.
Jerome Macu (56) from Khutsong in Carletonville told Daily Sun he was heartbroken when he received the news that his son, Lebogang Mninawa, had died in a car crash three weeks ago.
"As if losing my son was not bad enough, his funeral was stopped by people who claimed to be his relatives from the Eastern Cape," said Jerome.
The planned funeral was stopped a day before Lebo was supposed to be buried. "We went to court and we agreed Lebogang's body would stay in the mortuary."
But they got the shock of their lives last Friday when they went to the mortuary in Carletonville and found the body was not there.
"We were told that my son's body was on the way to the Eastern Cape. They said it was collected by a woman who claimed to be his sister and a man who said he was his uncle," said Jerome. Jerome said he was never
married to Lebo's mother and she had married a man from the Eastern Cape.
"Lebo lived in the Eastern Cape for five years before coming back to Khutsong," he said. Leticia Mpofu, Lebo's cousin, said Lebo worked on the mines and lived with them. She said the people who took his body are not related to Lebo by blood although his mother had married into their family.
"They came and said he must be buried in his rightful place in Dutywa, Eastern Cape. They are denying the right of his family to bury him," she said. "They stole our body and we want it back."
She said they don't care whether the family has buried him, they will exhume his body. Jerome said he should be buried with his mum and twin brother. "They didn't even fetch his spirit where he died and he won't rest in peace," he said.
Daily Sun spoke to Elliot Mninawa, the family spokesman of the family in Dutywa. He said Lebo was buried on Saturday next to the man they believe is his father.
"We didn't steal the body, we took it because it needed to buried in the right place. He is with his ancestors," said Elliot. "He is at peace."
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