The relatives of the man whose body was found on Brickfield Road last week have been located and SAPS Mayville has opened an inquest docket after passersby made the gruesome discovery on Tuesday morning, 9 July.
The aunt of the deceased identified him as Thembeka and confirmed that he was her nephew who had been living on the streets for a couple of years.
“Thembeka is my late sister’s son. I received the shocking news of his death on Tuesday from relatives who went and identified his body on the day he died. I was at work when I got the news and have not had the opportunity to go to the police station myself,” she said.
The aunt mentioned that Thembeka had been unwell for a while due to his struggles with drug addiction.
“I’ve been trying to persuade him to come home for several months now but he refused. I also assisted him by taking him to the hospital when he was unwell but once he felt better, he would return to the streets,” said the aunt.
She explained that while some family members have visited the morgue to identify his body, funeral arrangements are still pending as she is the only one responsible for arranging a dignified funeral for him.
“I am his late mother’s sister. He had no siblings or close family besides me. I am relieved that the police were able to track me down but I still have to organise his burial,” she explained.
According to Captain Carmen Rhynes, SAPS Communications Commander for the eThekwini District, it is suspected that the man passed away outside Pedro’s Overport while he was asleep.
“The man was known to be homeless in the community and he was identified as Thembeka from Cato Crest Informal Settlement,” said Rhynes.
