Mortuary demands P1 Million over unclaimed body
Pini Bothoko | Monday September 11, 2023 06:00
Sipho Mahlangu (42), of Soweto in South Africa, was shot and killed together with nine others in Phase 2, back in February 23, 2022 by the police following a cash-in-transit heist in the Main Mall, Gaborone.
Then, 10 armed men attacked and robbed a Security Systems cash-in-transit motor vehicle of over P986, 000 in the Main Mall that morning. They subsequently fled the scene and were, later on, followed and confronted by the police and an exchange of fire ensued resulting in fatal killing of the robbers, which Mahlangu was part of. In the process, the police recovered four pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle in their possession whilst an undisclosed amount of cash was recovered from the robbers. Nineteen months later, Mahlangu’s corpse is still lying at the funeral parlour and now the police refuse liability for this unclaimed corpse.
Recently during a media brief held by the Ministry of Deference and Security, the Acting Police Commissioner, Phemelo Ramakorwane denied that the police have entered into any agreements with Mosala Funeral Directors (Pty) Ltd to keep and repatriate Mahlangu’s corpse to South Africa. But Ramakorwane admitted that the police have met with Mahlangu’s family, handed them the corpse and the family made agreements on their own hence the police could not be liable for any costs.
“Following the shooting incident we met with the deceased’s family and we handed his corpse to them. Then, the family made arrangements with the mortuary on how the body will be repatriated, plans that we were not part of as the police. Months later a representative from the mortuary came to me and complained of overstaying of the corpse.
I asked if they came to me because the police had handed them the corpse or whether they came because they cannot get hold of the deceased’s family. I helped them to get hold of his family in Soweto and his aunt came and left saying she was going back home to see what they can do as the family to repatriate the corpse,” Ramakorwane said.
He added that later on, the mortuary came and told him that the family has cited financial constraints to repatriate the body for burial but I told them that it was a business agreement that does not involve the police. Ramakorwane stated that he further advised the funeral parlour that if the family is failing there are some arrangements that could be made for the deceased’s to be buried in Botswana. “I advised the mortuary that the family can give the mortuary rights and consent to bury the deceased and if that arrangement is made they should consider inviting his family to be present during the burial so that they can be able to identify his grave,” he said.
He added that the mortuary has since visited the South African embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and even the Minister of Defence and Security sharing the same concerns but were told that it was a business decision because they have a contract with the deceased’s family. “As it stands, the mortuary wants us (the police) to pay the costs but we cannot do because they made such arrangements with his family not us,” Ramakorwane said. However, the funeral parloiur has sought to hold the BPS accountable for the costs of keeping the corpse in a case that is currently before court.
In an interview with Mmegi, the Managing Director of the funeral parlour, Bushie Mosala is adamant to have not agreed with the deceased’s family to keep the corpse. “My office received a call from one Detective Mmelesi who requested the mortuary to proceed to Princess Marina Hospital to collect the deceased's corpse, which he said was still undergoing post mortem. We went and collected the corpse that was handed to us by the said officer who instructed us to do all was necessary to enable the body to be transferred to South Africa. He had instructed us to do all that was necessary and hand over the necessary documents to him something that I did by sending one of my employees to drop the documents to him.
I have never had an agreement with the deceased’s family. The family has since cited financial constraints to repatriate the body for burial,” he said. Mosala said their contract is with the police and they should do the needful by paying costs and take their corpse because they failed to make arrangements for the corpse to be repatriated to South Africa.
He added that during their appearance in court the police failed to bring the officer who had contacted the parlour instructing them to come and collect the corpse and they also failed to bring the documents that his aunt had signed when handing over the corpse to her as they claim. Mosala stated that the corpse has been lying in my mortuary for 19 months now clocking a bill of over a million and the police should be accountable and pay costs. “They should pay me and take their corpse.
If it was not a human being, I could be taking my hearse, load the corpse and drop it at police headquarters but I am not that cruel, I am running a professional business. He is a human being and deserves a proper burial. I was not engaged by the deceased’s family but the police and as such they should do the needful,” he said.
He added that it was not his responsibility to ask for a permit and consent from the deceased’s family to bury him. He further revealed that the judgment on the case will be delivered in November 1, 2023. Mmegi has since learnt that Mahlangu’s family has once engaged Philani mortuary in Soweto, South Africa to come and collect the body of the deceased.