The family of a Kuils River mom who was gunned down, along with her two daughters, by her husband are appealing for donations to fight her in-laws in court amid a bitter burial dispute.
Relatives of Pumla Mvinjelwa Ntombela, 33, announced this week they are heading to the Western Cape High Court to fight her husband, Simthembile’s, family over the bodies of the couple’s daughters,
Nhlanhla and Bajabulile.
In the midst of an ongoing feud between the two
families over cultural rights to bury the children on their father’s homestead, officials at the Tygerberg Mortuary have declined to release the bodies of the young girls, aged 10 and 6, to either of the families.
This comes after objections from Pumla’s family after police identified Simthembile as the shooter and claimed he left a suicide note before turning the gun on himself.
Pumla Mvinjelwa Ntombela and her daughters were gunned down by her husband. Picture supplied
Pumla’s sister, Nondumiso Mvinjelwa, says after the shocking incident both families agreed to wait for her father, Mncedisi, 73, to travel from the Eastern Cape for the funeral arrangements.
She said despite Xhosa customs, her family would fight for the children to be buried with their mother as their father is the alleged
killer.
Nondumiso says: “The application will cost about R50 000. The family is making this public appeal for donations to raise its legal fees for the release of the bodies for burial.
“Any donation will be appreciated in the form of pro bono legal support, psychological support and transport during court cases.”
To assist mense can email [email protected].