The Zimbabwean Embassy has promised to help the bereaved families of the 17 deceased ,whose lives were claimed after a gas leak in Boksburg early in the month. The embassy in South Africa said it would take responsibility for the repatriation and burial of the Zimbabwean nationals that were killed by the gas leak at Angelo informal settlement. 

NO PLAN

Many of the families begged for assistance saying they can’t bury their loved ones in South Africa. However, none of them had money to repatriate any of the bodies, some didn’t even have airtime to call relatives and inform them about the tragedy. The embassy said it verified that four Zimbabwean nationals died in the disaster. Zimbabwe Consular General in Johannesburg, Eria Phiri said arrangements will be made for the deceased to be laid in their homeland. 

"The government of Zimbabwe is a considerate government. Where we experience such disasters, we always assist our nationals. The embassy has begun preparing the repatriation documents and is expecting to have the funerals by the end of July, "said Phiri. 

THEY NEED TO GO HOME

Meanwhile, Ortancia Shivutsu, one of the survivors who hails from Mozambique and woke up to the news of her husband’s death from gas inhalation has a different story to tell. She is still puzzled how her husband will be buried. "I don’t know how I’m going to survive without my husband because he was my provider," she said, adding that she got the news about her husband’s husband a few minutes after she regained consciousness. "I was shocked but I knew it was that thing we inhaled that killed my husband. Unfortunately, we live in constant fear of their wars and these deadly chemicals they bring to our community. Look at how many people have died because of their carelessness, They need to be rooted out. Right now I have no clue where I am going to get money to take my husband’s corpse to Mozambique."