‘Missing heart’ debacle angers Moyo family
Tragedy of daughter’s death compounded by retention of organ
THE family of prominent Zimbabwean politician Jonathan Moyo were devastated at the death of his daughter, Zanele, whose body was found in her apartment in Rosebank, Cape Town, on October 17.
Their grief has been exacerbated by the fact that the 20year-old politics student’s body was repatriated to Zimbabwe without her heart. Yet no South African official communicated this situation to her relatives.
“Such a revelation has only compounded the grief that our clients have had to endure,” said Terence Hussein, a lawyer acting for the Moyos.
The family only learnt by chance that her heart is being kept in Cape Town.
Days after the daughter of Zimbabwe’s minister of higher and tertiary education was buried, her family were informed by pathologists in that country that her heart was missing. After an autopsy had been conducted at the Salt River mortuary, her body was flown to Harare. Zanele’s organs were placed in a plastic bag in her abdominal cavity, but when Zimbabwean pathologists removed the bag, they could not find the heart.
Despite repeated attempts to get answers from South African authorities, the family have been kept in the dark. Now the Western Cape health department has confirmed the Salt River mortuary had retained the heart for further analysis.
Mark van der Heever, spokesman for the department, said it was standard practice to retain organs for further investigation to determine the cause of death. “The pathologists followed standard procedure and have not been suspended or expelled.” The case was subject to a police investigation, he added.
Van der Heever said it was the police’s duty to notify Zanele’s family. The police failed to respond to questions from the Sunday Times.
Hussein said the Moyo family have lodged complaints about the handling of the case with the provincial health department and the police.
Hussein said the family had been informed that a toxicology report could take up to five years. The Moyos then had a second autopsy done in Zimbabwe, during which it was discovered the heart was missing.
“Our clients feel that the body of their beloved daughter has been disrespected and violated. This violation goes against the law on the handling of human organs, but also seriously violates the cultural beliefs and sensitivities of our clients.”
Moyo is said to be upset about South African health officials’ failure to notify him and fears police might have bungled the investigation. Hussein said the investigating officer gave conflicting accounts of the circumstances of Zanele’s death. Even the date was inaccurately recorded.
In one instance, the officer said Zanele had been sitting on a toilet pan, hit her head on a basin and bled from her nose. But the South African forensic probe confirmed she was fully clothed and with no wounds on her face, and there was no blood spatter on the walls.
Hussein also complained that the investigation is being conducted by a new sergeant who “confessed” to never having investigated a homicide.
Experts say South African law permits the removal of an organ or tissue samples to determine cause of death.
Professor Jeanine Vellema, a pathologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, said: “It is not standard practice to necessarily remove whole organs, but it is completely legal. We are mandated by law to determine the cause of death in people who die from unnatural causes.”
She said that in 90% to 95% of cases, it was not necessary to remove the whole organ.
Forensic pathologist Dr Linda Liebenberg said it was important that relatives were informed about the retention of organs. “People are concerned about muti and illegal removal
It is completely legal. We are mandated by law to find the cause of death
of organs . . . We are quite sensitive to people’s sentiments about organs being retained, but under the law we have to fulfil our duty to establish cause of death.” The family can re- quest the heart be returned. They had not done so yet.
Zanele lived in a quiet, gated private students’ residence. A frequent visitor to the block said that when he last saw her, she looked depressed. Flowers and messages from friends hung on her gate. “Love you Zane, always and forever,” wrote Nicole.