The remains of three Eastern Cape people who were among those who died when a church guesthouse collapsed in Nigeria last September finally returned home yesterday.
The mortal remains of the three arrived in Pretoria together with eight other bodies and will be transported to the Eastern Cape to be handed over to families for burial preparations tomorrow.
The three are: Sidima Jordan of Duncan Village, Janet Jewell of Alicedale, and Nkosana Mzinyathi of Port Elizabeth.
They were among a group of 81 South Africans who died on September 12 when a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church Of All Nations in Lagos – headed by preacher TB Joshua – collapsed, killing 115 people.
While the bodies of most South Africans who died in the disaster were returned, the 11 remained behind as Nigerian authorities struggled to identify them.
It has been a traumatic wait for the families with Sidima’s father Joe Jordan, a former member of the provincial legislature, saying the family was pleased they now had closure “on this very tragic chapter in our lives”.
“Now that our son’s body has returned home we believe that it will assist in healing our wounds,” said Jordan.
He said he received a call around 1.30am yesterday informing him that Sidima’s body was one of those that had landed in Pretoria.
He was told that the bodies would be brought to the Eastern Cape by road and officially handed over to families tomorrow.
Jordan said officials from the church and from the department of social development had been “very supportive to our family”.
He said they were working on getting a burial order from the home affairs department.
Alan Jewell, whose wife Janet was one of those returned yesterday, said his family had been through a traumatic time.
“However, we are now very relieved as we will finally get a chance to say our final farewell to our loved one,” said Jewell.
Janet will be buried in Alicedale next Saturday.
Welcoming the bodies yesterday Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said government was still waiting for answers from Nigeria on why the building collapsed.
EC three finally return home
The mortal remains of the three arrived in Pretoria together with eight other bodies and will be transported to the Eastern Cape to be handed over to families for burial preparations tomorrow.
The three are: Sidima Jordan of Duncan Village, Janet Jewell of Alicedale, and Nkosana Mzinyathi of Port Elizabeth.
They were among a group of 81 South Africans who died on September 12 when a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church Of All Nations in Lagos – headed by preacher TB Joshua – collapsed, killing 115 people.
While the bodies of most South Africans who died in the disaster were returned, the 11 remained behind as Nigerian authorities struggled to identify them.
It has been a traumatic wait for the families with Sidima’s father Joe Jordan, a former member of the provincial legislature, saying the family was pleased they now had closure “on this very tragic chapter in our lives”.
“Now that our son’s body has returned home we believe that it will assist in healing our wounds,” said Jordan.
He said he received a call around 1.30am yesterday informing him that Sidima’s body was one of those that had landed in Pretoria.
He was told that the bodies would be brought to the Eastern Cape by road and officially handed over to families tomorrow.
Jordan said officials from the church and from the department of social development had been “very supportive to our family”.
He said they were working on getting a burial order from the home affairs department.
Alan Jewell, whose wife Janet was one of those returned yesterday, said his family had been through a traumatic time.
“However, we are now very relieved as we will finally get a chance to say our final farewell to our loved one,” said Jewell.
Janet will be buried in Alicedale next Saturday.
Welcoming the bodies yesterday Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said government was still waiting for answers from Nigeria on why the building collapsed.
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