Desperate
families, unable to afford official repatriation costs, are resorting to these
clandestine channels to transport deceased loved ones — often individuals who
died in South Africa without proper documents. Bodies, disguised as regular
luggage, are being loaded onto vehicles and waved through customs thanks to
bribes paid to officials.
An
investigation by Check Point has revealed this morbid operation. Even more
disturbingly, drug cartels are exploiting this practice, concealing narcotics
beneath corpses to evade detection.
The grim
reality of this trade was highlighted at a recent funeral wake attended by this
reporter. Misheck Musana, a 27-year-old Zimbabwean who died tragically in
Johannesburg after crossing illegally, was repatriated through this illicit
network due to his lack of documentation and burial society membership. A close
relative, whose identity is being withheld, detailed the desperate measures
taken to bring Musana home. This illicit commerce paints a stark picture of
systemic corruption and a grave disregard for human dignity and national
security, turning a vital point of entry into a haven for smugglers.
“We had no
money to process the papers and cover the transportation of the body,” she
said, stressing the prohibitive costs that can soar up to US$3 000 for official
repatriation from South Africa. “We hid his body in a bus trailer, and the
coffin was wrapped with a blanket to look like any other luggage.”
The family’s
ordeal uncovered the mechanics of this grim trade. They paid US$500 to the
transporters in Johannesburg. However, their journey was fraught with risk.
“When customs
officials at the border discovered we had a lifeless body without proper
documentation, the transporters we used paid US$200 to let us go,” the relative
revealed.
In Harare, the
deceased’s body was allegedly handed over to a funeral parlour working with the
syndicate before being transported to Musana’s rural home for burial — all
without the legally required burial order.
Interviews with
cross-border bus and lorry drivers revealed this grim practice has been
well-established for years. One driver, identified only as Shutori, admitted to
transporting human remains across the Beitbridge border since 2015,
highlighting the deeply entrenched nature of this illicit operation.
“It’s expensive
to repatriate a body to Zimbabwe. The price for this illicit service can start
from R5 000. Many Zimbabweans approach us to carry their relatives back home in
our buses,” he said matter-of-factly.
Sources said
that this gruesome trade is fuelled by the exorbitant costs of official
repatriation, which can reach US$3 000 (or R14 000 by road, R37 000 by air) for
those without proper documents, compared to illicit alternatives as low as
US$500. This makes the illegal route a desperate choice for impoverished
families, particularly for individuals who died in South Africa without formal
papers.
Disturbingly,
drug cartels are exploiting this practice, concealing narcotics within corpses
to evade detection, with some even claiming individuals are being killed for
this macabre purpose. Recent incidents corroborate these reports: in June 2024,
three men were arrested at Beitbridge for smuggling pistols and Broncleer syrup
hidden inside a coffin. Just two months ago, four cross-border transporters
were apprehended for smuggling US$25 000 worth of drugs in an empty coffin
using a fake burial order.
As the
Zimbabwean diaspora grows, the issue of repatriation is becoming increasingly
complex. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini has urged
adherence to proper procedures, warning against dangerous shortcuts and
confirming awareness of contraband, including hard drugs, being smuggled in
coffins. Though no official complaints about body smuggling have been received,
authorities are well aware of coffins being used for illicit transport.
Asked for
comment, Police said they are still compiling information from relevant
departments. Herald
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