A family from Cross Roads, Mangwe, was left in shock after discovering they had buried the wrong body two months ago, a mistake that saw them laying to rest a Lesotho citizen instead of their relative.
The exhumation of the Lesotho citizen’s body took place
last Friday, with officials from Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Lesotho in
attendance. On the same day, the correct body, that of Bambanani Ndebele, was
buried.
Speaking to CITE, the deceased’s uncle, a distressed Mike
Ndebele, recounted the painful ordeal. He explained that his nephew had died in
South Africa two months ago, but a mix-up led to the wrong body being sent to
Zimbabwe for burial.
“My nephew died in South Africa two months ago, and due to
a misplacement of bodies, the wrong body was brought to Zimbabwe, and we buried
it. Later, we discovered the mistake, and the Lesotho family is now on their
way to collect their relative’s remains,” Ndebele said.
Sources close to the family revealed that Bambanani had
been stabbed in South Africa.
Ndebele shared that despite body viewing processes
conducted both in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the family struggled to identify
the deceased.
“Body viewing was done both in South Africa and here in
Zimbabwe, but identifying someone in a coffin is often difficult. Some family
members and even children raised concerns, saying the body didn’t look like
him, but their concerns were dismissed,” he said.
“This incident has deeply hurt us as a family,” Ndebele
added.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson,
Inspector Loveness Mangena, confirmed that police had received a memorandum
about the incident in August. However, she stated that they were not informed
about the exhumation. National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi
also indicated that he was unaware of the case.
Cultural activist Sfiso Ngwenya Magwegwe said body viewing
is important in traditional funeral practices, describing it as a critical step
in identifying the deceased and providing closure for grieving families.
“Traditionally, the deceased would stay with the family for
a day or half a day before burial, but with the advent of mortuaries, families
must now identify the body at the mortuary to prevent mix-ups,” he explained.
Magwegwe added that cultural families often call elders to
confirm the deceased’s identity by examining specific features, and mortuaries
may be asked to double-check in cases of doubt.
“Body viewing allows families to ensure they are burying
the right person and helps console the grieving. However, in our culture, this
process is typically reserved for close family members,” he said.
Magwegwe also noted cultural restrictions on taking
photographs during body viewing, as such images could be misused in rituals.
Dr. Samukele Hadele noted that it is important to identify
the body at the point of collection and dressing of the body.
“In African tradition, body viewing is a way of paying last respects and bidding farewell. However, it is also a family’s duty to safeguard the dignity of the deceased. This responsibility should not be left solely to undertakers,” Dr. Hadele said. CITE
Dr Dotito 
