The KwaZulu-Natal government says it will step in to speed up plans to repatriate the remains of former rugby player Lindani Myeni, who was shot dead in Hawaii.
Premier Sihle Zikalala says plans to bring back Myeni’s remains are gaining momentum after interactions between his office, the Department of International Relations and the US Consul-General.
The Myeni family had requested assistance to bring back his body.
Zikalala says officials from his office visited the family this week to assess their exact needs.
“In ensuring that his body is repatriated to South Africa, since then we have worked with our national government, especially the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and our ambassador in the United State, her Excellency, Ambassador Nomaindiya Mfeketho and we are in touch with his wife that side to ensure that preparations for his repatriation are undertaken. Our role here is to assist to make it easy for logistical arrangements that his body is brought home and he be given a dignified funeral and send off,” says Zikalala.
Zikalala says the government is considering a request by the family for financial assistance.
“It is a matter that the family here – Myeni’s family in KwaZulu-Natal – were raising with us yesterday and we said we will consider that as a whole issue. (It is) one of the issues that we have to take into cognisance, and we will be discuss that with relevant authorities, ourselves as government, the national government and the embassy, but also see whether in the associations of sports, as well as rugby, whether they cannot collaborate in this regard,” he adds.
On Monday, the Myeni family launched an online crowd-funding campaign to raise money to repatriate his body for burial.
The campaign has already raised more than R200 000.
The family says there are many unanswered questions after police officers shot Myeni in an altercation at a bed and breakfast establishment at night.
Myeni’s relatives are waiting for Hawaiian authorities to release the post-mortem results before they decide on further action.
lLindsay Myeni in conversation with SABC News:
