Durban - A Mossel Bay family has raised enough money to bring home the mortal remains of their loved one who died in China last month.
In September, IOL reported that Lindokuhle Sixaxeni died on September 12 after falling ill. Since then, her family has been trying to raise monies to bring her body home so she could be buried in South Africa. The family did not want Sixaxeni to be cremated and her ashes sent to SA. The family required R400 000 to bring back her mortal remains.
At the end of September, a representative of the Chinese Embassy reached out to IOL, wanting to make contact with the Sixaxeni family so they could assist.
Sixaxeni's mother, Nomonde Sixaxeni, said a representative from the Chinese Embassy has been in touch with the family and has confirmed that the full payment has been made to the funeral parlour.
"Her body will be identified before it is packed and repatriated to South Africa. We are expecting the body to arrive next week, and we will make funeral arrangements," she said.
Describing her daughter as a "bubbly person who was sociable and always smiling in photographs", an emotional Nomonde said the loss is now real.
She said Lindo was the last born of her three biological children.
"My older daughter passed, and I have my son left now," she added.
Nomonde said once Sixaxeni's death certificate has been sent to the family, they would begin with funeral preparations.
"We have informed the local funeral services, so they are aware," she said.
Sixaxeni’s brother, Mandisi Sixaxeni, said the 27-year-old left for China in September 2019 to teach English.
"She could not find work in South Africa and chose to leave for China, where she planned to teach English. She resigned on August 30 this year and was hoping to come back home after teaching for four years," he said.
Mandisi said they heard regularly from his sister. However, between August 30 and September 5, they could not reach her.
"We contacted her friends and people we knew in China, and her friends found her in her flat," he said.
It is believed Sixaxeni was dehydrated.
IOL