The mother of a deceased man in a tragic incident where five family members were burned beyond recognition in a truck, has shared the horrific ordeal that has left them with serious trauma.

Passers-by discovered a burnt-out truck between Mabate and Khalanyone in Harrismith on Monday. 26 August. Tshokolo Mofokeng (35), his wife, Anna Hlatswayo (32), and their three children, Tumelo (10), Moleboheng (8), and Bokamoso (1), were on their way back to Qwaqwa.

The family members who lost their lives inside a truck which was engulfed by fire. Photo supplied 

Maria Selepe recounted how the family had to collect the human remains of her son and place them in a plastic bag to take to the state mortuary in Phuthaditjhaba themselves.

They experienced renewed trauma after finding the remains of her late son and expressed frustration over what she described as high levels of incompetence by the police, which compounded their trauma.

“We visited the crime scene on Wednesday (28/8) to verify for ourselves. Unfortunately, we found the remaining human bodies. We reported the matter to the police, but they refused to come and verify. We had to take those remaining bones to the state mortuary in Phuthaditjhaba, which is unimaginable in a constitutional country,” Selepe said.

Police initially reported only four bodies were recovered from the burnt-out truck, while the missing body was presumed to be that of the husband. Selepe accused the police of assuming her son might have deliberately set the fire and fled the scene.

But the fifth burnt body was the toddler (1) who was later found trapped under the driver’s seat. The family had to tow the truck home themselves.

“The police created a second crime scene in our yard. The toddler’s body was trapped under the driver’s seat and was identifiable because it was not severely burned. This is a double pain for us.

“We have countless questions for Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Provincial Commissioner Gen. Baile Motswenyane about why they sent incompetent officers to investigate such a high-profile crime scene,” Selepe said.

The mother of a deceased man in a tragic incident where five family members were burned beyond recognition in a truck. Maria Selepe, Photo supplied 

Internal investigations are underway into the allegations, confirmed Free State police spokesperson Capt. Lorraine Earle. “The station commander of Harrismith is dealing with the matter with the utmost seriousness. The fifth body was recovered during the forensic investigation by experts in this field.”

Meanwhile, investigations are still underway to determine the cause of the fire. Police are also awaiting the DNA results from the bodies found and their families.

“As far as the police are concerned, no body parts or bones were removed from the scene by the family, which is why there is an internal investigation to clear the air on this matter,” Earle said.

Selepe said the family acknowledged the deceased couple had serious differences after the wife filled out divorce papers without her husband’s knowledge. The family reportedly found a torn marriage certificate among the deceased’s documents.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg