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Mpumelelo Nyoni Chronicle Reporter
THE bodies of three Zimbabweans who died following the collapse of controversial prophet TB Joshua’s three-storey Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) guest house in Nigeria arrived in South Africa yesterday.The remains of Catherine Ndlovu, a mother of two from Mpopoma who visited the prophet to help exorcise her hospitalised daughter, Jane Sibanda (nee Hwature) from Entumbane and Greenwich Ndanga the MDC-T chairman for Mashonaland West, were among 74 bodies which were repatriated from Nigeria to South Africa after the September 12 tragedy.
A formal reception ceremony for the remains was held at the Waterkloof Air force base on the outskirts of Pretoria.
A representative of the Bulawayo-based Friends of Emmanuel TV and SCOAN said it was still unclear when the Zimbabweans’ bodies would be brought into the country.
“We’re still waiting for communication from our Nigerian counterparts. They haven’t told us anything so far,” said the representative.
The bodies are said to be in a bad state after spending time in poorly ventilated Nigerian mortuaries where they were reportedly being kept cool only by fans, with no refrigeration.
“I’m thinking the bodies will be flown in either tomorrow (today) or Wednesday. They’re in a bad state, so it would be best if they come by air,” said the representative.
The spokesperson also told Chronicle that no communication has been made to relatives of the dead in Zimbabwe.
The arrival comes two months after the tragedy, which claimed a total of 116 lives. The repatriation process was delayed by DNA tests which had to be conducted on the bodies to positively identify them.
TB Joshua was conspicuous by his absence yesterday and sent his deputy instead to South Africa.
When the Chronicle news crew visited the two affected families in Entumbane and Mpopoma there were no signs of funeral wakes.
Both families declined to comment on the arrival of the bodies.
At least 85 South Africans were killed and dozens trapped when the multi-storey guest house attached to TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations caved in, apparently after TB Joshua ordered the construction of additional floors without reinforcing the foundations.
He claims it was a conspiracy, insisting that a mysterious plane flew four times too close to the structure causing the collapse.
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