Family, villagers traumatised by handling of burnt body
FORENSIC state officials have been accused of slapdash handling of the remains of 80-year-old Nonyundubana Tinana, who burned to death in her shack at 1am two Saturdays ago.
Their collection work was so poorly conducted, said villagers from the remote Kwa Kuni administration area 60km west of East London, that dogs were seen running around with skeletal remains in their jaws four hours later.
Officers had to return to the village three times to do the job.
The first Bhisho Forensic Pathological Services (FPS) employee, who was on the scene at 5am – four hours after the blaze – apparently did such a lackadaisical job that FPS colleagues had to return twice to the area near Phumlani village – once on the same day at 10am, and again five days later.
Tinana, a stroke victim, was killed when an inferno engulfed the rondavel she shared with her husband, Gashe Tinana, at 1am.
The 100-year-old Gashe escaped from the blazing house with his pyjamas on fire, burning his legs.
He shouted for help, said family spokesman and Tinana’s nephew, Lungisile Fadeshe.
Family and neighbours said the elderly woman’s remains were defiled by hungry dogs three hours after the Eastern Cape department of health’s employees had supposedly “collected” the body.
Tinana’s neighbour Nomsa Mantsondo, 43, said: “I have never seen anything like this before.
“It is shocking.”
Fadeshe said he believed some of Tinana’s remains were missing because one of the dogs ran away with a body part.
“I doused my aunt’s flaming body with 75 litres of water to prevent her from fading to ashes, only for the government employees to let us down,” said a devastated Fadeshe.
He said “grumpy” forensic workers arrived at 5am four hours after the fire and spent 60 seconds inside the rondavel before recovering “only about 5kg” of remains, and left.
He said the dogs were seen three hours later carrying bones and what looked like pieces of “braai”.
Mantsondo said her husband, Simphiwe, again called the police to tell the forensic officers to return.
Fadeshe said an unhappy official, who only gave his name as “Mr Komani” appeared but was carrying a see-through plastic bag.
“I argued with him for several minutes to respect us and not carry human flesh in a transparent plastic bag in front of my aunt’s family, including children.
“He was so grumpy. This man didn’t want to do his job. From the moment he arrived he kept shouting ‘Where is this flesh [ you are talking about’.”
Five days later, two more dogs were spotted carrying more charred bits. Forensic officers were called for the third time.
“A Mr Zindlani came and collected what we hoped was the final batch of the remains,” Fadeshe said. Neighbour Ketse Phila said: “The mortuary van was parked 50m away from the remains. They paraded the remains for everyone to see. I am not happy with [their work].”
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed that the provincial office had received a complaint.
“The matter was brought to the department’s attention and the complaint process was explained to the complainant, Mr Fadashe.
“We also engaged with the implicated employee and he denied the allegations.”
Kupelo further said his department could “institute a formal inquiry or investigation against the employee and SAPS employees, since we as forensic pathologist services receive our cases or bodies from SAPS after they have thoroughly searched for any piece of evidence at the scene”.
King William’s Town police spokeswoman Captain Siphokazi Mawisa said an inquest had been opened. “The investigation is still continuing and a postmortem will confirm the cause of death.” —