News / National
Family buries wrong body, forced to exhume
26 Feb 2021 at 06:29hrs | Views
A FAMILY from Lobengula West suburb was left speechless after they were given a wrong body by a funeral parlour and had to travel all the way to Plumtree to exhume the body of their loved one for reburial in Bulawayo.
A family insider, who requested anonymity, said a misunderstanding broke out after the late Mthokozisi Ndlovu's family members were handed a wrong body by Falakhe Funeral Services officials.
"On Tuesday at around 8am, we left for Falakhe funeral parlour to take the body of our late relative Mthokozisi Ndlovu (34), who had died last week at Thorngrove hospital, for burial at Luveve Cemetery.
"But we were surprised to see the funeral parlour officials seeming to be too busy and dashing about. After about 20 minutes of waiting, one of our relatives approached the official, who told him to wait for some minutes," said the insider.
A family member, who only identified herself as MaMpo, said an official approached them and explained that they had given their dearly departed's body to the wrong family.
"The official told us that one of their drivers collected the deceased's body and it happened that he went off duty for two days, resulting in another driver giving the Brunapeg family Mthokozisi's body," she said.
The insider said they had to report the matter to the police and took the body of the family in Plumtree.
"We had to go and engage the family with the help of Falakhe Parlour and they agreed to exhume Mthokozisi's body so that we bury it here in Bulawayo," said the source.
The source added: "We buried Mthokozisi at Luveve Cemetery yesterday (Thursday)."
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the body mix-up saga.
"I confirm we received a case where a body was swapped with another body resulting in one family burying a wrong body. The Bulawayo-based family had to travel to Plumtree to exhume the body for burial at Luveve Cemetery. It is important to do body viewing, at least one relative who knows the deceased."
A family insider, who requested anonymity, said a misunderstanding broke out after the late Mthokozisi Ndlovu's family members were handed a wrong body by Falakhe Funeral Services officials.
"On Tuesday at around 8am, we left for Falakhe funeral parlour to take the body of our late relative Mthokozisi Ndlovu (34), who had died last week at Thorngrove hospital, for burial at Luveve Cemetery.
"But we were surprised to see the funeral parlour officials seeming to be too busy and dashing about. After about 20 minutes of waiting, one of our relatives approached the official, who told him to wait for some minutes," said the insider.
A family member, who only identified herself as MaMpo, said an official approached them and explained that they had given their dearly departed's body to the wrong family.
"The official told us that one of their drivers collected the deceased's body and it happened that he went off duty for two days, resulting in another driver giving the Brunapeg family Mthokozisi's body," she said.
The insider said they had to report the matter to the police and took the body of the family in Plumtree.
"We had to go and engage the family with the help of Falakhe Parlour and they agreed to exhume Mthokozisi's body so that we bury it here in Bulawayo," said the source.
The source added: "We buried Mthokozisi at Luveve Cemetery yesterday (Thursday)."
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the body mix-up saga.
"I confirm we received a case where a body was swapped with another body resulting in one family burying a wrong body. The Bulawayo-based family had to travel to Plumtree to exhume the body for burial at Luveve Cemetery. It is important to do body viewing, at least one relative who knows the deceased."
Source - bmetro
