South Africans are eagerly awaiting news as to when the bodies of their family members who died in the Synagogue building collapse would be repatriated for burial.
Few days ago, Minister in the Presidency and the special envoy leading a visiting delegation, Mr Jeff Hadebe, addressed a post-cabinet press conference in Cape Town on the delegation’s planned visit to Nigeria.
He said that the purpose of the visit was to meet with the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government first-hand, with a view to expediting action on the repatriation of the bodies.
More than 80 South Africans are believed to be among the 116 people who died in the Synagogue building collapse.
Late September, the Lagos State Government asked family members and all nationals who believed their relations could have been in the collapsed Synagogue Church Of All Nations’ building to come forward and submit samples that can aid forensic identification and DNA analysis of recovered bodies.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has said that the Lagos state government had considered it necessary to start forensic identification and DNA analysis of the recovered bodies in view of the need to identify each of them.
Mr Jeff Radebe arrived in Nigeria on Monday to ”expedite action on the process”. He said he hopes to get answers from the Federal and Lagos state governments on the matter.
Our correspondent, Betty Dibiah, visited one of the affected families, the Mahlweles, whose mother, Maureen Mahlwele, is believed to be among the dead.
Details soon…
