The family of murdered mom Pumla Mvinjelwa Ntombela are heading to the Western Cape High Court to fight her husband’s family over the bodies of the couple’s daughters in a bitter burial dispute.
On Monday a group of more than 60 women from Gugulethu and Khayelitsha protested at Tygerberg Mortuary where they demanded the bodies of Pumla and her daughters, Nhlanhla, 10, and Bajabulile, six, to be released to her mother’s family.
According to police, the 33-year-old woman and her children were shot and killed by her husband, Simthembile, 36, who then left a suicide note before shooting himself at their Bardale Village home.
The angry women wore pink T-shirts with pictures of Pumla and her children on and called for an end to
“cultural patriarchy”.
MOM: Pumla Mvinjelwa Ntombela
The main gate at the mortuary was closed and a police van was seen on the property as the protesting group danced with placards outside.
The women also held a sit-in in front of the building, symbolising a Xhosa tradition where women sit on the ground during the mourning period.
Sister Nondumiso Mvinjelwa and other relatives were called in to meet with officials and told the crowd they were informed that only the Ntombela family could release the bodies as the children had the father’s surname.
“They told us that his family already collected his body last week but left the girls and that shows they are not interested,” Nondumiso said.
STEADFAST: The women outside the mortuary.
“In terms of Xhosa cultural practices, Pumla and her children should be buried at the husband’s homestead, but we are fighting this cultural patriarchy as he is their killer.
“They have said we can have Pumla’s body, but now we are fighting for the children.
“We have received legal advice and various organisations against gender-based violence, such as Enough Is Enough, have offered to assist with a pro bono lawyer so we are in the process of finalising this.
KILLER: Dad Simthembile
“At this stage we know that the application will cost thousands, but we are prepared to fight for this.”
Simthembile’s family could not be reached for comment on Monday.