Alex Matlala

Alex Matlala

The Budia family in GaMatlala village in Limpopo risk being fined two cattle and face possible eviction from their village if they bury a family member who died two months ago.

Forty-year-old Dunar Augustos Budia's body has been lying in the morgue since November 13 last year.

Preparations by the family to bury Budia, who originally hails from Mozambique, were halted by the local municipality and the Matlala royal family.

Aganang municipality mayor Manoko Maseela said the family could only be given the right to bury their father in early March.

"We have arranged with the Mozambique embassy to locate Budia's relatives so that we could proceed with funeral arrangements."

The family said they were told they would pay two cows in fines if they went ahead with the burial.

The controversy surrounding this issue is that Budia is from Mozambique and had illegally stayed in South Africa since 1999.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, Budia's wife Tiny Moikobodi said: "We want to bury him so we can move on with life."

Moikobodi said the family was prohibited from burying her husband in the village by the royal house, saying the deceased had no burial rights.

Attempts to get a comment from the royal house failed.