Deceased homeless Matsenjwa’s relatives identified
MBABANE – Relatives of the homeless man, Phineas Matsenjwa, who recently passed on, have been identified.
Matsenjwa’s real name is Katane and he is said to have left home in 1986. His family members were located in Mambane, an area which is a few kilometres from the Mozambican borderline and KwaZulu-Natal.
Matsenjwa, who had become a familiar feature at the Mbabane Government Hospital Traffic Lights, was discovered already dead and in a state of decomposition last week.
Appeal
Yibutse Director Musa Ndlangamandla and a delegation led by the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) Director Thembinkosi Dlamini, set-off to locate Matsenjwa’s family yesterday. The Nation Magazine and CANGO made an appeal through social media, requesting emaSwati to join hands in providing a decent send-off for Matsenjwa
After 36 years, the distraught family has learnt of the demise of Matsenjwa.
Ndlangamandla said they managed to locate close to 10 of the family members, who were grateful that their loved one would receive a decent funeral. He stated that the family thanked everyone, especially CANGO and The Nation Magazine for putting together a system to assist with all burial expenses. He said Matsenjwa’s next of kin would be visiting the Mbabane Government Hospital for formal documentation and identification of the body before a funeral date was announced.
Ndlangamandla further mentioned that the relatives would also be meeting to decide on whether they wanted a post-mortem conducted or not.
He said they communicated with Matsenjwa’s nephew who identified herself as Msombuluko, who spoke on behalf of the family. Also present were Matsenjwa’s aunt, sisters and cousins.
Ndlangamandla said the family stated that the late Matsenjwa left home in 1986 to live in the streets. First, he begged in Siteki town, going to Big Bend then Manzini opposite what used to be Nozidumo Investments where there is now Galp Filling Station.
Matsenjwa sheltered himself in a place along the fence of the National Blood Bank, where he made himself a home until he met his death last week. Ndlangamandla said they were told by the family that police tried to bring him home after removing him from the streets in Manzini in1986. However, they said he left the following day, telling his family members that his businesses were suffering and he needed to go manage them. This, the family said, they welcomed as Matsenjwa wanted to be left alone and live in the streets.
“The family’s various attempts and that of the police to remove Matsenjwa from the streets were in vain,” Ndlangamandla said. Meanwhile, he said CANGO would produce a financial report to account for every cent that had been donated.
The CANGO director stated that there were several emaSwati who found themselves in Matsenjwa’s situation and the country should be doing something about it. He said it was covered in the Bill of Rights under the rights to good standard of living environment, clothing and access to medical care. Dlamini said the department under the social security should be doing something to assist citizens and also have a register of such individuals.