Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
Seven months ago, 86-year-old gogo Martha Mokgwebane, was murdered, allegedly by her neighbour’s son.
Her body was chopped into pieces and burnt beyond recognition and thrown into a pit toilet.
All the police could get for DNA analysis were her bones.
Though a suspect has been arrested, her family wants to bury her so her soul can rest in peace and they move on with their lives as well.
But it looks like this is going to take even longer as there is a backlog at the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory.
In March, civil rights group Action Society’s spokesperson Rineé Pretorius said it was confirmed that the current DNA backlog was at 172,787 cases.
This was only for the months of January and February 2021, with no DNA evidence processed.
She said the numbers were increasing as the DNA board struggled to sort out issues ranging from procurement of DNA chemistry and consumables, dysfunctional contract management, poor leadership within the police as well as IT problems.
This is not what the family of gogo Martha wants to hear.
Her daughter, Christina Mthembu, 64, told Scrolla.Africa that the family is not able to move on with their lives unless her mother is buried.
“At the scene where my mom’s body was found, I picked the sand where it was lying and some of her burnt flesh. I put it in a small box, covered it with a blanket and put it in my bedroom hoping we will bury her soon. This is heartbreaking, we need closure,” she said.
She added that things have not been easy for the family since the murder because traditionally they could never end the mourning period unless gogo Martha is buried.
“Some of my mother’s grandchildren have lost jobs and we believe this is because she isn’t happy with her not being at her final resting place,” she said.
Spokesman for Limpopo police Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said they have tried to explain the issue of backlog to the family as they understand that they needed closure.
“We went to the Laboratory last week to check on the results but they were not available. The case has also been postponed pending the outcome of the DNA tests results,” he said.
