Eastern Cape student’s remains will finally be brought home from Cuba

It has been more than a month since an Eastern Cape medical student died in Cuba, and it will be another month still until his body is returned for burial at his home in South Africa.

On Thursday the Eastern Cape government finally announced that the remains of Sibusiso Qongqo would be repatriated, ending a long battle by the family to have him returned home. The body remained in Havana, Cuba, after the repatriation was delayed by a Covid-19 lockdown of the island country.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane announced that his government would speed up the process to return Qongqo’s body to South Africa. He said the body would be returned by the end of this month, with the help of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and the SA Defence Force.

Mabuyane acknowledged the outcry from the family as well as the social media anger directed at government.

“We are working with Dirco as well as the Defence. One thing for sure his remains will not be cremated in Cuba,” Mabuyane said.

Under the Cuban lockdown regulations, burial has to take place within three days, but the concession for Qongqo to remain unburied was made specially for South Africa.

But it would be some time before the ensuing war of words between the provincial authorities and the family ends, as the delay would further add to his family’s anxiety.

His mother Nolubabalo, 60, is said to be sickly and struggling to cope with the plight of her child.

Qongqo, who was doing his fifth and final year in medicine, was among a group of South African students who were doing medical in-service training in Cuba as part of the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro programme. He was expected to graduate and return home as a qualified doctor in July.

The irate family approached the media and accused the provincial health authorities and the national government of failing to cooperate in help them repatriate the remains of Sibusiso, who died on 29 April. There was also disagreement with authorities as to whether he should be cremated or not.

The provincial department of health said the family initially agreed to have the body cremated but later changed their minds to say it must be repatriated for reburial at home.

The provincial department was also accused of being unwilling to pay for the flight to bring the remains home.

The department and Dirco cited the lack of flights for the delay, and they denied that they deliberately delayed the repatriation and failed to cooperate with the family.

ANC provincial secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi welcomed the government decision, saying the party would give the necessary support to the Qongqo family and convey the ANC’s condolences to them.

ericn@citizen.co.za

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