MHLANGATANE COUPLE BURNT ALIVE, POST-MORTEM REVEALS

MHLANGATANE – A post-mortem has revealed that there were no signs of physical injuries on the bodies of a couple who were found burnt inside their house on November 11, 2018.

This means the couple, Mandla Lukhele (58) and his wife Thulile (48), were burnt alive. The post-mortem was carried out last Friday at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital Mortuary and was attended by family members as well as police officers. Family members initially suggested the couple may have been killed prior to their bodies being burnt because the charred bodies were found on the bed in the same positions they normally slept. They argued that had they been alive, there would have been physical signs of struggle such as rolling or efforts to get out of the house through the door. This was, however, not the case according to earlier statements given by family members.

Mandla and his wife Thulile’s bodies were burnt beyond recognition according to family members. Speaking after the fire incident, family member, Alison Lukhele, had suggested that the couple may have been dead prior to their bodies being burnt. However, a family member said the post-mortem now showed otherwise adding there is a very strong possibility that they were both alive when the fire started. The family member said their failure to escape could have been as a result of being stunned while they slept. The relative further said the post-mortem revealed that there were smoke particles in the blood of the deceased couple. “We were told that this is a sign that the person was breathing and that they inhaled the smoke particles,” he said. He also said blood samples were also taken from the bodies so that it could be determined whether they had been poisoned prior to their death. The blood samples will be used to determine whether the couple could have been poisoned hence their failure to flee from the fire. Sam Lukhele, a brother to the deceased, said the family was still shocked by the incident.

The fire was so intense that the walls of the house cracked while the windows were shattered. This is said to have made it difficult for the family to determine whether the windows were broken before the fire was started or after. He said he was hoping police officers would continue to investigate the matter so that the culprit (s) who committed the incident could be brought to book. Noteworthy is that the deceased’s homestead is situated within an enclosed premises surrounded by wire fencing. Within the premises, there are other houses occupied by some of the family members. Though Mandla and his wife Thulile often lived with some of their children, they were not in the house on the day of the fire incident. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said no one had been arrested yet but that investigations were still ongoing. Recently another couple Roy (81) and Alice Mngomezulu, were also burnt. It could not be established whether they were murdered before their bodies were burnt.

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