Durban - It’s more sorrow and heartache for two South African families desperate to repatriate the bodies of their relatives who died while teaching English in China.
Calls have been made to the public for donations, but with little money coming in, the families are running out of time, which could lead to the bodies being cremated.
Some who have worked in China say these tragic events happen frequently, as most South African teachers working in China simply cannot afford insurance.
Expats earn just enough to get by, but these deaths should be a wake-up call for those living and working abroad to acquire life cover or travel insurance, as repatriation of a body from China to South Africa costs at least R400 000 – an amount most local families cannot afford.
Lusanda Lindokuhle Sixaxeni, 27, from Mossel Bay, died on September 12 after being hospitalised for five days.
She had resigned from her job and bought her return ticket to South Africa, but then fell ill. According to her family, she allegedly asked to be discharged from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, but the facility refused.
When she died, the hospital would not keep her remains in its mortuary, saying she was “too big”.
N e l i s w a Nqoza, the Western Cape chairperson of the Apostolic Holy Church in Zion, Sixaxeni’s family church, said they raised about R200000 of the R400000 required to have her body repatriated.
We have received paperwork from China for the death registration, but it’s not guaranteed they won’t cremate her,” she said.
“At first, China told us we had three weeks to arrange for her repatriation.
But we have since discovered that between 1 and 7 October the country observes a celebration and cremations during that time are not done, which gives us more time.”
Nqoza said Sixaxeni’s mother was struggling as she wanted a post-mortem conducted to determine her daughter’s cause of death. The hospital claimed it was due to dehydration.
“We have approached businesses and political parties, including the EFF, and the ANC has told us they are working with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation to assist,” she said.
While the Sixaxeni family was busy knocking on doors, another family learned that their daughter had died. Siphosethu Mqokozo, 30, from Lady Free in Vaalbank in the Eastern Cape, reportedly died last Thursday. Her family has asked the nation to assist them in raising the R300 000 needed to return her body to South Africa.
Mqokozo’s aunt, Vuyiswa Mkhabela, told the Sunday Tribune that Mqokozo’s friend told the family of her death. She said that before her niece died she had called her younger sister, Nolubabalo, as she usually did.
“Her sister said Mqokozo did not mention anything about being unwell. Normally, when she was sick she would call and inform us.
(News of Mqokozo’s death) came as such a surprise that she had a panic attack,” Mkhabela said. “Her 10-year-old daughter will never find peace. It will be even worse if she doesn’t know where her grave is.”
A local businessman who worked as an English and music teacher in China between 2018 and 2019 said he also did not have insurance at the time, like most foreigners in China.
Clayson Monyela, the spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said the department could not foot the bill for body repatriations and advised travellers to get insurance. Monyela said it was not the department’s role or duty to repatriate bodies.