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The Penyu family from the Lujecweni locality in Ngqeleni is dismayed about finding out that they had buried the wrong person, thinking it was their family member in 2009. According to relative Popi Penyu, Nomvula Penyu left home in 1992 to work in East London – and never returned.
She left her three children at home at the time of her disappearance. Penyu said they wrote to a local radio station and also a national television programme.
“As the years went by, we wrote a letter to one of the programmes that assists in looking for people who are missing. We then received a call from one of the people who work at this programme, informing us that they had found Nomvula in a government mortuary in East London,” said Popi.
She said that when they went to the mortuary they were advised not to see the body because she was already in an advanced state of decomposition. According to her, the body was moved to another mortuary, known to them, but they were still advised not to open her coffin. According to Popi, while they were looking for Nomvula, her (Nomvula’s) mother became sick.
“When we received a call that Nomvula was in the mortuary her mother had already been admitted to hospital. She passed away after she was informed that her daughter (Nomvula) had been found in the mortuary. We then buried both of them.”
Popi said she recently received a message from someone on Facebook, stating that Nomvula was alive and was living in East London. According to her, this person said she was looking for her family and her children.
“I could not believe my ears because I know that she was buried in 2009. I asked this person to send us a picture of her. I then talked with her over the phone. I informed my family members about this shocking news.”
Popi said that they fetched her in East London last week and is making an appeal to anyone who can assist them to exhume the grave, because they do not know who is buried there.
Express asked to speak to Nomvula, but Popi said her health was not in a good state.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Kaya Matola-Mvanyashe, said the family should go to the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court to seek advice. “Most of the time it is the court who gives authorisation in matters like this one,” said Matola-Mvanyashe.
