Panic grips family as grave is tampered with

Lungile Tshuma Sunday News Correspondent
IN a bizarre incident, a Kingsdale family discovered that a tombstone had partly been erected on the grave of a relative they had buried the previous day.
Mr Brown Mabuza was buried on Thursday 13 November at West Park Cemetery and as per tradition, his family visited his grave for inspection.Close sources said upon the family’s visit on Friday morning, they found a tombstone and some pieces of the stone which were meant for the grave.

“Some family members told us that Mr Mabuza’s grave had been tampered with. The family panicked as such things don’t happen in town and we only believed that it can only happen in rural areas where the issue of witchcraft is very common. The issue is actually the talk of the community and some family members were actually suspecting that it’s witchcraft being done by some community members.

“Unfortunately, there are no people who have time for that. Above all, Mabuza was a likeable person who had no problems with people. In fact, his death pained everyone and there is no one who can do such things,” a Kingsdale resident who did not want to be named said.

A Sunday News crew that visited Mr Mabuza’s house caught up with his sisters who confirmed the incident.

“We went to the gravesite the following morning to check whether the grave had not been tampered with because that is part of our tradition. Unfortunately, we realised that the grave had been tampered with as there were stones and bricks which were already in place and the tombstone was already being erected,” said one of the late Mr Mabuza’s sisters who declined identification.

“We panicked and were about to report the matter to police. We asked the guards whether they could have seen the people who tampered with our grave and they made a description. We then discovered that it was some of his children who stay in London.

“Family members were angry because what the children did was wrong but they apologised. The matter was amicably solved hence I do not think it will be wise for you to write about it. Just leave the family alone.”