A family on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal is suffering additional pain from losing its loved one, as it has been denied an opportunity to give him a dignified funeral by a state mortuary that gave him a pauper’s burial after the family was forced to delay the funeral for two years.
For years ahead of the death, the Makhoba family had been in pain from losing Siyabonga Makhoba to the life of drugs, which drove him away from home to become a homeless person, although his family members loved him.
However, the pain worsened when his decomposed body was discovered with a bullet wound on the head and signs of being burned, dumped in a bush, and covered with dry leaves.
The family suspects that an ANC councillor was involved in the alleged murder of Siyabonga.
Police collected the body to a mortuary and the family was told that they would only be allowed to conduct a funeral after the DNA was tested to confirm the identity.
The family had to wait for more than a year for the DNA results, which only came two weeks ago.
“The DNA results recently came back as being those of Siyabonga Makhoba. When the police took the family to the mortuary to collect the remains, they were then informed that the remains of Siyabonga Makhoba had already been buried in a pauper’s burial,” said provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza.
Although Magwaza said Nyoni police have been investigating an inquest following the discovery of human remains in the Khenana Railway area on April 14, 2024, case numbers, which this reporter used to track the progress of the police investigation, indicated that the body was discovered in November 2023, and the inquest case was opened in April 2024.
Siyabonga’s brother, Khobs Makhoba, said a few days after the discovery of the body, Siyabonga was allegedly seen being assaulted by people, including the councillor, who could not be named as it remained unclear whether he was charged.
He said Siyabonga was accused of stealing from the councillor’s home.
When contacted with these allegations, the councillor declined to comment and hung up.
Makhoba said the Nyoni police station registered a kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder case.
He said searchers could only identify Siyabonga with his sandals, which were near where the remains were found.
“After finding the sandals, they searched around to find bones covered with leaves, and the police came to collect them. They later searched again and found other bones, which were part of his foot.
“The part of the foot is the one still available, and we are told that the rest were buried,” said Makhoba.
Makhoba and his brother, Mthokozisi, who discovered the body after a long search, wrote a letter to the ANC Task Team in General Gizenga Mpanza region on August 13 this year, seeking help to hold the councillor accountable for the alleged assault, which they believe was linked to the murder.
“This councillor allegedly dragged our brother with a vehicle, leaving him with serious injuries.
“Shortly thereafter, our brother went missing and the case of a missing person was opened at Nyoni police station,” read the letter.
They told the ANC that DNA analysis confirmed Siyabonga died from a head injury, “and that his body had been burned before death”.
“To this day, we have not buried our brother’s remains, and no one has been held accountable. The councillor continues to serve in office, despite the severity of these allegations,” said the brothers in the letter.
They want the ANC to urgently facilitate an independent investigation into the councillor’s involvement, suspend the councillor pending the outcome of the investigation, and provide clarity on internal action that would be taken against the councillor.
“Reaffirm the ANC’s commitment to justice, ethical leadership, and accountability. We are available to provide further information or cooperate with any investigation. We urge your office to act swiftly to prevent further injustice and restore public confidence,” read the letter.
ANC regional coordinator Nkosenhle Mngadi, who confirmed receiving the letter on Friday, said this was a criminal case, which required police investigation.
He said the ANC could only intervene after the councillor had been criminally charged and had taken the matter through internal processes, which guide the step-aside policy.
“The ANC cannot investigate the criminal matter. However, the ANC had a responsibility to society to assist whenever something bad happened.
“We received the letter today (Friday), and we have to discuss it internally and find an approach to dealing with the matter, but since it is a very sensitive criminal matter, you cannot intervene,” said Mngadi.
