The bodies of 81 South Africans killed in a building collapse in
Nigeria have yet to be repatriated two months after the accident, South
Africa's government said on Thursday. “It is certainly heartbreaking that the families of the 81 South
Africans presumed dead continue to wait for their mortal remains to be
returned home,” said Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe in a
statement at Parliament.
A total of 116 people were killed when a guesthouse collapsed at the
Lagos megachurch of one of Nigeria's most popular preachers, TB Joshua. Six South Africans injured during the incident are still being treated at a Pretoria hospital. Radebe, who has been named Special Envoy to Nigeria, said he would
leave for the country “in a few days”, where a team already on the
ground is working to facilitate the repatriation process.
“Government regrets that families continue to bear such a long-drawn-out period of uncertainty,” he said. “We would like to reassure the families and South Africans at large
that government has not taken the foot off the pedal. The repatriation
of the mortal remains (is) very high on the government agenda.”
Radebe's statements come a day after Joshua failed to appear at a
Nigerian inquest into the building collapse, though his lawyer said the
preacher never received the witness summons.
Expert witnesses at the hearing have previously ruled out Joshua's
claims that sabotage from a low-flying aircraft or a terrorist attack
may have caused the tragedy.
Instead, the court has been told that the guesthouse did not have any planning permission.
Inspections indicated that other structures on the site, including
the church's main auditorium which Joshua claims was designed by the
Holy Spirit, were structurally defective.
- AFP
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