-I HAVENT SEEN MY HUSBAND’S GRAVE
– WHOLE FAMILY WAS IN QUARANTINE ON BURIAL DAY
Her husband died from Covid -19 related complications in September.
Three months later the devastated widow and her children still haven’t seen their father’s grave.
Traumatized, the 56-year-old woman who missed her husband‘s burial while in quarantine has moved from pillar to post trying to get answers from government officials to no avail.
Narrating how she and her children were struggling to come to terms with the death and burial of her husband by government officials, 56 -year old Tsemaletsile Raselekane of Molepolole said the traumatic event has left the whole family severely depressed and traumatised.
“ My husband, Ntebang Mosupiemang, died on Friday 18th, September 2020 and we were told he was buried by the government on September 25th,” she said.
Going into details of how her 62 year old hubby met his demise, Raselekane said since the beginning of last year, Mosupiemang started having respiratory problems and coughing, which they thought was the result of working for a long time at the mines.
The late Mosupiemang had worked in South African mines since 1976 until he retired in 1998 and got a job as a night watchman, a job he kept until July this year.
“In July his medical condition worsened and he went to Scottish Livingstone Hospital where they took an X-ray which showed that he had dust in the lungs. They gave him prescription drugs but he wasn’t getting better so they further took a sputum sample but couldn’t find anything more,” said Raselekane.
However on September 9th, 2020, Mosupiemang was admitted at the hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19.
The deceased daughter 29-year-old Keitumetse Tshenyego said the Covid-19 team then whisked her father off to Sir Ketumile Masire Hospital without informing the family.
“We only got to know about the hospital admission when he phoned us from there,” said the daughter.
The day he died Mosupiemang’s death 10 of his family members including the wife and three grandchildren were taken to quarantine at Thuso Hotel.
“We were shocked to hear about our father’s death from the relatives the following day Saturday. We had phoned him on Friday and he was eating and communicating so we were hopeful that he was recovering,” explained Tshenyego who said they were later called one by one by the health officials to inform them about the death and immediately escorted back to their rooms.
“We were not even counseled. Each one of us cried alone inside our separate rooms.”
To her surprise Tshenyego said they were told her mother and younger sister tested positive for Covid-19 during their first tests but were never tested again at the end of ten- day isolation.
“Some of my children tested positive, others negative and we were discharged from quarantine on different days and told to sanitase our home with Jik. The children are now struggling with insomnia and hallucinations whereby they see their father besides them,” said the distressed widow.
Meanwhile efforts to get a comment from health officials have proved futile.
Scottish Livingstone Hospital referred this publication to Covid-19 Taskforce and the task Force Coordinator, Dr Kereng Masupu in turn referred the publication to Ministry of Health and Wellness, Public Relations Officer, Doreen Motshegwa who promised to respond after they received information from the relevant authorities but never did.
