Police criticised for inaction over relocation of relatives’ graves

Mpumalanga families who laid charges of the violation of graves and malicious damage to property after relatives’ graves were exhumed and relocated without consent, have accused the police of failing to investigate the matter.

Early this year, three families from Nooitgedacht, Middelburg, accused Mafube Coal Mine of continuously exhuming their relatives’ graves without consent and burying the remains at an unknown location.

Between April and July, two of the affected families, identified as Masombuka and Bhuda, approached the Middelburg police to open cases against the mine.

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On Sunday, in an interview with The Citizen, the families said the police were not updating them about the progress of the investigation.

Nurse Masombuka, who claimed three graves of relatives were missing, said: “Since we opened the case early this year the police seem not to be willing to investigate. At first, we were told that the warrant of arrest was issued, but now it is about five months without being updated.”

“We were hoping that the police would assist us to compel the perpetrators to show us where the remains were taken to.

“Since they were exhumed in October last year, the family has been suffering from a string of bad luck. Normally when this happens we used to go to the grave sites to communicate with our ancestors.

“The reason we approached the police is because the mine was reluctant to interact or assist us,” said Masombuka.

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Every year during Heritage Month they visited the grave site to pay homage to the departed family members, but this year it won’t happen because the site was relocated, Masombuka said.

She added she was struggling to understand why the police were failing to work on the case since she was ready to provide them with evidence. “There is a video clip where the mine management agreed and apologised and promised to do things right, but they did not do that.”

Rose Bhuda said her family also opened a case after discovering six of their relatives’ graves missing. Bhuda said it was opened in July and she was promised a case number would be sent to her, but to no avail.

When she enquired, the investigative officer did not give her straight answers.

“I am disappointed with the way the police handle our cases. We have many families coming forward claiming that their relatives’ graves were relocated to unknown locations. Our worry is that we don’t know where we can get help to compel the mine to show us where our graves are.”

Themba Mahlangu, a community leader who assisted the families to open the cases, also criticised the police for not doing enough to arrest the perpetrators.

“Since we opened the cases nothing has happened and nobody is updating us. On the second case that we opened in July we are still waiting for a case number. The police are failing us as community members.”

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdluli did not respond to questions concerning the matter.

Previously, Mafube denied any wrongdoing.