A Durban family has endured three years of agony while waiting for the state to conclude legal processes before releasing the body of its 17-year-old daughter, who died during the April 2022 floods that hit areas such as Inanda township.
The family of Nolusapho Dladla claims that it has been pushed from pillar to post while trying to get the body back and give their daughter a dignified funeral.
Drowned during the April 2022 floods
According to Dladla’s aunt, Delisile Mhlongo, her niece drowned in the Umzinyathi area under Inanda during the floods on April 11 2022. After days of frantic searching, a washed-up body was found on April 28 of the same year. It was found at eMagelekedeni, another lower section of Inanda.
The body was taken by the police and kept at the nearby Phoenix state mortuary for legal processing.
Mhlongo says when they viewed the body, they found that it was indeed that of Dladla. And because they were sure that they had found her, they started a formal mourning process and preparations for a funeral.
State kept body for DNA testing
“However, when we visited the hospital the following day, we were told that the investigator wanted to be sure. So, a DNA test would be required. Samples were taken [from] another child related to Nolusapho to do that,” Mhlongo said.
They were hoping that it was going to be a swift process as they were already preparing to bury Dladla. However, the matter took another turn when, after eight weeks, the DNA results were not yet back. During one visit to the mortuary, Dladla’s father was told that the head of the mortuary is on leave.
Another doctor botched the DNA test
Mhlongo alleged that at some point, they wanted the process to be done by a private laboratory. But the doctor claimed that he did not take the correct amount of samples to give him the correct results.
“Mind you, at that time we were mourning and preparing for the funeral again, and it had to be called off. Three years later we are still waiting for the process to finish and bury Nolusapho. The family is traumatised by this. We wish that the process be finished and we are allowed to bury our loved one,” Mhlongo said.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said there are cases of inquest related to this matter.
“Inanda police have opened cases of inquest following the recovery of the body of a woman. She was allegedly washed away during floods on 27 April 2022 in the Umzinyathi area,” he said.
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