By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – “We were forced to carry unbearable pain in our hearts for eight months. No words can truly describe how heartbroken we are as a family,” said Mathibatsana Mofokeng, speaking through tears at an emotional funeral service held for five members of the Mofokeng family on Sunday, 20 April, in Tebang Village, Eastern Free State.
After a harrowing eight-month wait for DNA results, the Mofokeng family finally bid farewell to Tshokolo Mofokeng (35), his wife Anna Hlatswayo (32), and their children Tumelo (10), Moleboheng (8), and one-year-old Bokamoso.
The family tragically lost their lives in August last year when the truck they were traveling in mysteriously caught fire in Harrismith. The blaze was so intense that the bodies were burned beyond recognition, requiring DNA analysis for formal identification.
Family members laid to rest.
The protracted wait for results from the South African Police Service added another layer of trauma to the grieving family.
“The police’s lack of preparedness and the delay in DNA processing is unacceptable,” said Mathibatsana Mofokeng. “We expected more from our law enforcement agencies. The relevant departments must urgently devise a plan to speed up these processes because such delays deepen the pain and grief of affected families.”
EFF Councillor Malebusa Ngozo of the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality echoed these concerns, condemning the inefficiency of the police in handling DNA evidence.
“The delay has caused considerable distress and prolonged agony for the Mofokeng family,” she said. “It raises serious questions about the competence and responsiveness of our forensic services.”
The funeral service, attended by community members and local leaders, was a solemn yet moving tribute to a family whose lives were cut short in a tragedy that continues to raise questions and demand accountability.
