Seeing his mother’s decomposed body in a coffin at her funeral has left Joel Tjombe traumatised for life.
He says when he got the call that the beloved matriarch of the family’s body had arrived home for the funeral, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.
Erika Tjombe (86) died on 11 December.
Her body was allegedly stored in a dysfunctional fridge at Okahandja State Hospital’s mortuary for seven days.
“It was absolutely horrendous . . . Black, smelly blood flowed from her mouth, her body turned dark blue, her face was swollen and unrecognisable, disfigured.
“It’s a picture that will never be erased from the memory of those who saw it,” Joel says.
The family blames the police, accusing them of negligence.
Joel says for the past few months his family has been looking for answers – without success.
“On 17 December, the undertaker and family members went to the state mortuary for preparations, death rites, and preparing the body for viewing, a memorial service, and a dignified burial.
“Family members were informed they cannot view the body since it has decomposed due to the gross negligence of Okahandja police officers,” he says.
Despite a notice saying ‘Out of order’, Erika’s body was stored in a dysfunctional mortuary drawer, he says.
He says Okahandja State Hospital’s chief matron and chief medical officer blame the police.
“To date no government official has come forward with written apologies, or presented any reports as to what happened.
Myself and my cousin wrote letters of demand to police inspector general Joseph Shikongo and executive director of health and social services Ben Nangombe, but have received no response to date,” he says.
Joel says the family has been left with no alternative but to register the case with the High Court.
Another family member, Warren Amuenje, says an autopsy was to be performed on Erika the day after her death, but the police never returned to collect her body.
“Had the police arrived on 12 December as required by law, they would have realised their grave mistake . . . However, it seems they only returned on the same morning my family arrived at the mortuary to prepare the body for the funeral,” he says.
He says the situation has placed extra financial pressure on the family.
“We had no extra funding to cater for the decomposed body.
We didn’t even have the body at home for her grandchildren, who couldn’t make it to the hospital to see her. They couldn’t see her because the body was decomposed, with an odour that is unbearable.
That is the last image I have of my grandmother,” he says.
The family has filed a civil suit against the police and the government.
They are demanding N$19 648 000 from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security and the Ministry of Health and Social Services “for emotional distress, mental distress, psychological shock, and trauma and suffering, as well as past and future clinical psychological expenses”.
Victor Tjombe, another family member, says the family has no choice but to take the legal route.
Mortician Bradley de Scande says when he arrived to pick up the body, it was in a bad state, and it was evident the body was mishandled.
“I have worked with many bodies, but that one was not normal. I showed the man at the mortuary the state of the body, but he told me he was not there when the body was placed,” he says.
De Scande says blame has been passed from one person to the next.
Meanwhile, national police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi has confirmed the police have received a letter of demand from the Tjombe family.
“Since civil proceedings are anticipated as per the notice provides, the matter was referred to the Office of the Attorney General for their handling. Therefore Nampol cannot comment on the matter,” she says.
The health ministry did not respond to a request for comment at the time of going to print.
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