FOR years Oupa Sibiya (67) lived in agony. His foot was painful and swollen and doctors couldn’t help him.
In October this year Oupa decided to seek alternative help. He left for Lagos, Nigeria to visit the Synagogue Church Of All Nations under the leadership of Pastor TB Joshua.
According to his wife, Mary Sibiya, her husband attended the church for a week and seeing no change, decided to come back home.
Sadly, he collapsed and died at Lagos airport.
Now Mary (42), of Eesterus, Hammanskraal in Tshwane, is faced with the task of bringing his body back. The church is not helping and neither is the South African government.
Clayson Monyela from the department of international relations explained: “When an individual travels to another country and something happens to him or her, it is that person’s family responsibility to repatriate them.
“But when a large group of South Africans is involved, as was the case in the first incident when the synagogue collapsed, the government helps.”
Mary is pleading with SunReaders to help her raise funds to bring back her husband’s body.
She said the international relations department traced her husband. “They learnt that his body was being kept at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital’s mortuary. I was told I needed to pay R70 000 to bring his body home.”
Mary said the last money they had was used for her husband’s trip. “My family and friends have donated but the money is still not enough. My children don’t even know that their father is dead.
“They ask me every day when he is coming back home and I am afraid to tell them that he is dead and stuck in another country,” said devastated Mary.