Four nuns taken by virus laid to rest in Mthatha

Four nuns who died of Covid-19 were buried in Mthatha on Saturday  in a sombre funeral attended by about 50 mourners who were careful to adhere to all the coronavirus regulations.

Between June 8 and June 17 the Catholic convent in Mthatha lost five nuns to Covid-19.

Sister Celine Nxopo, 66, was buried on Monday. On Saturday it was time for Sister Ambrose Shabalala, 80,  Sister Maria Cord Wardhor, 80, Sister Beautrice Khofu, 84, and Sister Martha Anne Dlamini, 74, to be laid to rest.

Their service was held at the Glen Avent convent cemetery in Ikwezi Township.

Mourners wore masks, face shields, gowns and shoe covers, and each coffin was carried by four pallbearers, all kitted out according to the regulations.

Just across the road, 17 nuns who had tested positive for the virus watched the funeral proceedings of their colleagues. 

Because of their vulnerability to the virus, a number of elderly nuns did not attend.

Roman Catholic Church Mthatha Diocese Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, commenting on the unusual circumstances,  said: “To bury four sisters in one day and another earlier in the week is so sad. We hope there will be no more deaths.

“From the point of view of our faith we are strong, and we accept that they are gone,” he added.

A wave of Covid-19 has swept through the Congregation of the Precious Blood convent community this month, apparently after one of the nuns, who worked as a nurse at Life St Mary’s Hospital in Mthatha, came home with the virus on June 2.

Now there are 22 nuns and two drivers who have tested positive and another three nuns  awaiting their results.

Sipuka said the nuns were now accepting the reality.

“I am happy those sisters who tested positive of Covid-19 are now spiritually and psychologically positive, and no longer depressed. I think the worst is over.

“There is no one who is very sick now. My hope is that there will be no more who succumb to the coronavirus,” Sipuka said.

A nun who was admitted to hospital on Monday has recovered.

“The good news is that she has now tested negative for Covid-19. There is no elderly person now under attack of this virus,” he said.

Sipuka and the convent head, Sister Nokwanda Bam, thanked their supporters.

“We have received so much support — financial support, donations  — from the health department’s OR Tambo district, private businesses, individuals and organisations. One company has done a deep cleaning and fumigation for free,'' Sipuka said.

Bam, who could not attended the funeral as she had tested also positive, said they could not have managed without support from various sectors of society in their time of grief.

“It is sad that some of the sisters could not attend the funeral as they are in isolation.

“They are grieving. But the support we received was amazing,” Bam said.

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