Relatives Dump Mochari’s Father’s Body and Vow Not to Bury Him Because of Being ‘Dead Beat’

A 43-year-old man identified as Zakhele Cindi has refused to bury his father due to his failure to fulfill his role as a parent since childhood
He was not only a father who shirked his responsibilities but also denied him the chance to get a national identity card, which has hindered his life
For Cindi, the unhealed trauma makes her question why she should bear responsibility in death when she felt denied responsibility in life.

In the Pietermaritzburg area, 43-year-old Zakhele Cindi cultivates cabbages, carefully watering them under the morning sun. It is hard work in the kitchen, but for Cindi, it helps her make a living.

Relatives Leave Father’s Body in the Mortuary, Vows not to bury him because of being a dead father.
Source: Youtube

Without a birth certificate or identity document, formal employment has remained out for a long time. However, it is not only poverty that weighs him down.

Speaking to Newsroom Africa, Cindi revealed that her father’s body has been lying in the government mortuary since the beginning of January, and that she has no intention of going there.

Also read

Kirinyaga: Woman Sentenced to Life for Murder, Released After 27 Years in Prison

His refusal, he explains, stems from a painful past. Cindi says her father abandoned her in childhood and failed to register her birth.

He was born at home and was never given an official document, he grew up without papers that open schools, jobs and access to basic services.

The lack of identification has determined the fate of his entire adult life. He hoped that reuniting with his father would help him untangle the bureaucratic knots that had kept him on the sidelines.

Instead, she says she faced more misunderstandings, including a history of alleged abuse and a protective order her father once took out against her.

For Cindi, unresolved trauma overwhelms traditional expectations of a child’s role. He questions why he should bear responsibility in death when he felt denied responsibility in life.

“People often try to help me,” he said, “but when they learn that I don’t have documents, they run away.”

In many societies, burial is not only a practical matter but a great cultural obligation. Leaving a body unclaimed can attract social stigma. Yet for Cindi, the issue sounds painfully personal rather than symbolic.