UNITED IN GRIEF
Bodies of 74 victims welcomed home
IT WAS THE sombre tune of the Death March that hit the spot. Slowly, the four forensic pathology vehicles drove past the mourning family members as the brass band’s music filled the air.
For many, it was too much to bear, and while others tried to stay strong, the lump in their throats choked their calm demeanour.
It was a heavy-hearted day for the families who lost their loved ones in the Nigerian building collapse.
Yesterday, they finally had the chance to bid them a bittersweet farewell at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, hours after their remains arrived back in the country.
It has been two months since the tragic incident that left 160 people dead after an eight-storey guest house collapsed in September.
More than 300 South Africans had gathered in Lagos to praise and worship charismatic church leader, prophet TB Joshua, of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, when the tragedy unfolded.
Yesterday, 74 positively identified bodies were returned to the country after the repatriation team, headed by Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, facilitated their repatriation from Nigeria.
There are still 11 bodies in Lagos that need to be identified. Three Zimbabweans who had gone to the church using South African documents and one Congolese are among the bodies that have been returned.
The injured were the first to arrive.
Twenty-three of those who died came from Mpumalanga, 22 were from Gauteng, 13 from Limpopo, 12 from the Eastern Cape, six from North West, five from KwaZulu- Natal and two each from the Free State and Western Cape.
It was when director-general in the Presidency Dr Reginald Lubisi read out the names of the dead that it finally hit home for many.
Family members started to wail and hyperventilate. One woman was attended to by paramedics, while other relatives stayed strong and comforted their families.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa described the reception as “a nation in mourning”, saying the rest of the country shared in the families’ grief and sorrow. “They were people who lived among us… they are in many ways part of us as our colleagues, relatives and friends.”
They were people who lived among us, they were family, friends and colleagues
Before the reception, the families were counselled and then shuttled to the base.
After the formalities, a moment of silence was observed for the dead.
The ceremony lasted just over 30 minutes.
The bodies will be taken to mortuaries around the country closest to the relatives’ homes.
Shandukani Maligana arrived early yesterday to come and support his neighbours who lost loved ones.
“We are coming from Chakuma and Mashamba in Limpopo. Everyone is crying at home. It has been tough. Imagine having to comfort someone for two months not knowing what has happened to their loved ones. It is painful,” he said.
Even though they were happy the bodies were back, they were not happy with the way the Nigerian government had delayed the process, he added. “It is two nations and we do things differently. If this had happened in South Africa, it would have been better. The Nigerians were supposed to work harder to get the bodies back sooner.”
Maligana said they were glad they could finally bury their friends and loved ones.
A tribute was also paid to one of the health officials, Pieter Fourie, who played an integral role in the repatriation process. He died from malaria in Lagos on Friday.
Ramaphosa told the families the government would ensure all the remains were returned to the country.
Most of the families and relatives of the dead people had been accommodated at the Premier Hotel in Pretoria since Saturday night.
No other people were allowed in the hotel, except social workers who were brought in to give counselling. The police had taken over the security at the hotel, with a heavy contingent of officers manning its entrance.
The families were transported to Waterkloof Air Force Base with branded police buses for the special ceremony where the remains of loved ones were handed over to their families. – Additional reporting by Lebogang Seale
SOUTH Africa has had to dig deep in its efforts to repatriate the remains of the victims who perished in a collapsed church building in Nigeria in September.
The government had to deploy a high-powered team comprising an interministerial delegation plus forensic and medical experts.
The cost in human lives in the incident has been high.
A Health Department employee, who was part of the repatriation mission, Pieter Fourie, paid the ultimate price on Friday after he contracted malaria and died.
Seventy-four of the 81 bodies were returned yesterday.
The Nigerian government’s handling of the collapse of a guest house at Pastor TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos appears to have further strained relations between the two countries.
The Nigerian authorities refused to allow South Africa access to the site or hospitals where the injured South Africans were being treated.
Yesterday, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe sought to allay concerns that relations between Pretoria and Abuja were strained.
“In the aftermath of the tragedy, the people of South Africa and Nigeria have been united. This tragedy has reinforced our warm and fraternal relations,” Ramaphosa said while delivering his keynote address at the official ceremony to receive the remains at Waterkloof Air Force Base.
Ramaphosa recently told Parliament that the South African government could not force Nigeria to expedite the repatriation process of the remains.
His statements came against the backdrop of another diplomatic row between Africa’s two largest economies. Nigeria was angered last month after South Africa’s Asset Forfeiture Unit seized $5.7 million (R63m) in funds meant for purchasing arms to fight the extremist Boko Haram Islamist militants, and threatened it would kick out South African investors from the country.
A week later, former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo appealed to President Jacob Zuma and Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan to work harder to further détente between the two countries.
“I know President Jacob Zuma does care about this matter, and is keen to have it resolved. We should not have an air of animosity,” said Mbeki, who had far more cordial relations with Nigeria while still in power.
Under the leadership of Zuma and Jonathan, however, South Africa and Nigeria appear to have renewed the type of hostilities last seen when Nelson Mandela spearheaded the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth.
This was after the execution of human rights atrocities against activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by former dictator Sani Abacha’s military regime.
Yesterday’s ceremony to receive the dead South Afri- cans looked like an all-government affair, with several cabinet ministers and other high-ranking government officials in attendance.
Radebe joined Ramaphosa in the chorus to allay the fears of a diplomatic fallout between South Africa and Nigeria.
Radebe said during the emotional event that he and his delegation had received good co-operation from Jonathan and other state officials. He added that Zuma and Jonathan had spoken for several hours to fast-track the repatriation process.
Ramaphosa said South Africa would continue with efforts to repatriate the remaining 11 bodies.
“We will intensify our efforts to ensure that the bodies still in Nigeria are returned without delay, also telling the grieving families and relatives that all South Africans shared their pain.
“To the bereaved, we say as a nation we share in your grief and sorrow. We understand that the loss you suffer remains unbearable. I hope you will draw solace and comfort from the fact that all South Africans are behind you.”
“Today marks the start of the healing of your souls. We hope their souls (deceased) will rest in peace in the land of their birth.”
We will do all we can to bring back the others