Zululander among the dead in Nigerian tragedy

THE family of a Zululander who died in the collapsed guest house building belonging to Nigerian preacher TB Joshua, has heaped praise on the South African government for the manner in which they handled the Nigerian disaster.

Sabelo Phumlani Myeni (28) from Nseleni Township was among the 84 people confirmed dead following the collapse of the multi-storey building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos on 12 September.

The deceased’s brother, Sambulo, told the Zululand Observer that while they were saddened by his brother’s passing, they were grateful for the support they have received from both the South African government and the Nigerian church.

‘As a family we would like to convey our gratitude to our Head of State for his unequivocal support.’

Sambulo said it was the first time his brother went to Nigeria to attend TB Joshua’s service, and little did they knew that it would be his last journey.

‘He arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday with a group of other congregants from South Africa. We all as a family love TB Joshua.

‘We learnt about his good work through his television station Emmanuel TV, where he teaches the world of God and pray for sick people. This is a man of God who gives scholarships to the disabled. We all looked up to him and his teachings,’ said Sambulo.

Last communication

‘My last communication with Sabelo was on the day of the disaster at about 11:45am on whattsap.

‘We first found out about this tragedy through an sms from the Nigerian church saying a building has collapsed and we must pray. We did pray, but it never crossed our minds that my brother could one of the victims.

‘We started pressing panic buttons when we watched the news and saw President Zuma making an announcement about this tragedy.

‘We got worried and the Nigerian church team also asked me to email them my brother’s pictures so as to confirm if he was among the dead. My dad also received a call from the South African authorities in Pretoria saying the list of all those who died have arrived and that my brother’s name was on it.’

The late Sabelo worked for Tata Steel KZN and was due to tie the knot in January with his fiancee Nomfundo.

He is survived by his parents and his 6 siblings. He did not have any children.

When asked about funeral arrangements, Sambulo said they were waiting for the identification process to be completed.

‘Once that is complete, the government will let us know when the bodies will be brought back to the country, and we will take it from there,’ he said.