THE road to closure has begun for families of the KwaZulu-Natal victims of the collapsed church building in Lagos.
The remains of five local people killed when T.B. Joshua’s Synagogue Church Of All Nations guest house collapsed on September 12, were returned to the province yesterday.
At a memorial service held at Dube City at King Shaka International Airport, provincial and local government members received relatives.
The first funeral takes place tomorrow with the burial of Nomusa Nyawo in Ngwavuma in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The remains of 74 of the 85 South Africans who died in the collapse were returned to the country on Sunday. A total of 116 people were killed.
Yesterday, family members listened tearfully as clergymen from various denominations brought messages of consolation.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu said the province would offer full support to the mourners.
“We are with you; we share your pain and we share your agony,” he said.
He said once bodies were unearthed from beneath the rubble, they had to be identified using DNA sampling and only then could the remains be repatriated.
“I was told by the families not to mind the death, but to bring back their bodies so the families could have some closure,” he said.
“Each image we saw on television relating to the tragedy reminded us we had not managed to get the bodies back to the families yet,” he said explaining the lengthy process.
“We have assured the families they will not go through any more pain other than the pain of the loss of their loved ones.”
He said, “Brothers and sisters died in Nigeria while on a journey to find spiritual guidance.
“We have all heard stories about how loving they were and how compassionate they were throughout their lives,” he said.
Bishop Rubin Phillip from the Anglican Diocese of Natal said he was pleased with the help families received from the province and said the country was united in mourning.
