Wattville family demands answers
The Mkhulisi family, in Wattville, refuse to bury a body they claim could possibly not be that of their sister's.
Patricia Phumzile Mkhulisi (47) was one of the people killed in the collapse of a Synagogue Church of All Nations guest house, in Nigeria, in September.
The mother of two sons (25 years old and 30 years old) worked as an admin clerk at Mary Moodley Memorial Clinic, in Actonville.
Her youngest son (name withheld), who had a close relationship with his mother, has been missing for days now and the family is worried that he is not handling the situation well.
Lwandle Mkhulisi, Patricia’s brother, first became suspicious when he was told by a government representative that the location where the bodies are kept, in Nigeria, is unknown.
“That means the South African government has no proof of whom the bodies which were brought back belong to,” said Lwandle.
His suspicions were further fuelled when, two days before the bodies were due to arrive, an official visited the family and asked if Patricia had any distinguishing marks on her body.
After waiting for over five months for Patricia’s body, when it arrived back on February 6, the family was told not to open the bag.
Lwandle said they were told to bury the body quickly, because of the risk of ebola and infectious diseases they could possibly contact from opening the bag.
But the Mkhulisis defied instructions and opened the bag.
“My sister had a gap between her teeth and this body does not have a gap at all.
“The body has no skin, it has head injuries and some of its features have moved, which makes it hard to tell if it is really her,” said Lwandle.
The family will have private DNA tests conducted by an independent pathologist today (February 23).
Lwandle said the reason for this is to find some closure.
“We want closure and we hope this is our sister, but we are not denying the fact that it could possibly not be our sister,” he explained.
“This situation makes me very angry, but I have to support the family and be strong for them.”
The Mkhulisis have since tried to convince other families to speak out if they have doubts about their deceased relatives.
