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Relatives of a 36-year-old Eastern Cape man, who was mistakenly pronounced dead while he was still alive, have made an impassioned plea to those who live in his area to allow him to get his life back on track.
Likhona Soqinase lives in KuMvuzi village in KwaBhaca with his adoptive family. He was pronounced dead in 2019 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, where he had been working. Community members now treat Likhona like a ghost.
The relationship between Soqinase and his adoptive family has been ruined since his return last year. He now sleeps with some residents who are willing to give him shelter.
Soqinase was born Likhona Mbali before he was adopted through the Roman Catholic Church in Cala in 1992. A few months after his return, Soqinase became mute after he heard about his death and burial.
Some residents and his biological family are blaming his adoptive mother for insisting on burying an unknown man.
Soqinase’s cousin Mxolisi Soqinase explains what happened. “I received a call while I was in Durban informing me that Likhona is dead. I went to look for him where he used to work but I could not find him. I then received a call that he was at Addington Hospital but they told me he was released in April. I received another call that his corpse was seen at Albert Luthuli Hospital. When I looked at the corpse I was it was not him. I told his mother that it’s not him but she insisted that it’s him. I then told them I will not attend his funeral because I will not bury someone I do not know.”
Neighbours and other family members want to see Soqinase out of his misery.
“Even though I had doubts about the corpse but I kept quiet because his mother was sure it’s him. I was surprised when she came to me the other day telling me that Likhona is back. I saw the real Likhona and not the one I saw in the coffin.”
“I wish he could find help. All we want is for him to go back whenever he came from because his mother doesn’t want him anymore.”
Soqinase’s mother, Nomiselo Rasmeni-Soqinase, has defended herself, saying the family elders told her not to say the body was not that of her son.
“They found his body in Durban and they went to fetch it. They even said because it was in a decomposed state we cannot view his body. I insisted. Then a man from the Soqinase family said they will allow me to see him but I must not say it’s not Likhona’s body. I was sceptical because that body was so dark but we went ahead and buried him.”
The Eastern Cape Social Development Department has promised to look into the matter. Spokesperson is Mzukisi Solani says the family will be provided with counselling.
“Our normal interventions is to make sure that we provide what we call a psycho-social support in the form of counselling and material support based on the assessment of needs identified and also to prepare for re-unification between Likhona and his family. But what is important also in the process is to make sure that the community leadership is fully engaged on this to make sure that they prepare even the community itself to make sure that they do welcome Likhona.”
Soqinase’s adoptive mother says she wants him gone. She has also pleaded with the authorities to exhume the buried body and returned it to Durban.
The positive thing is that Soqinase’s mother also says the Home Affairs Department has not declared him dead.
Man mistakenly pronounced dead:
