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.
