Peter Fabricius and Sapa
SOUTH AFRICA is a nation in mourning President Jacob Zuma said last night as he made a call for sympathy with the families and loved ones of 67 South Africans killed in the collapse of a church building in Nigeria.
And he has directed all relevant departments to help the families of the 67 to go and identify them and bring their remains back home.
Zuma announced that 67 South Africans were among those who died after the multi-storey guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed in Lagos in Nigeria on Friday. Scores of others were injured
“This is a particularly difficult time for South Africa. Not in the recent history of our country have we had this large number of our people die in one incident outside the country,” Zuma said.
Over 300 South Africans were staying in the four-storey guest house on the grounds of the church when it collapsed while workers were adding two more storeys.
The South Africans and others were hoping to see the church’s leader, self-styled faith header TB Joshua who claims to be able to cure even otherwise terminal illnesses.
“As we mourn this sudden and tragic death of our fellow compatriots, I have directed the relevant government departments and entities to act with the utmost urgency to ensure that we facilitate the movement of relevant family members to Nigeria to identify the bodies of their loved ones and to ensure that we repatriate the remains as soon as possible under the circumstances,” Zuma said.
“I would like to take this opportunity also to thank all family members and friends who have provided information to the government, which has assisted the South African high commission in Nigeria in its efforts to locate our fellow citizens.
“I would also like to commend all affected families for their patience and resolve during this very painful period.
He also thanked the Nigerian government for its support and he later told eNCA that those who died had gone to a church service not knowing they “will meet this calamity”.
“We hope that we will be able to overcome this calamity that has befell our two countries.”
The ANC issued a statement in which it said: “This unprecedented loss of life outside our borders must bind all of us in grieving with their families. We share the grief of families who lost their loved ones whose untimely death was not anticipated as they had travelled to worship. The ANC calls on all South Africans irrespective of faith or belief to extend a hand of comfort to the bereaved families as they contend with this grief. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all families including other nationals who lost their loved ones and wish those injured speedy recovery. Let us in unison wish their souls to rest in peace.”
The DA also extended its condolences to the families of the 67 South Africans who died. “We also extend our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of all those who died in this horrific tragedy. The DA calls for co-operation between the South African government and the government of Nigeria to ensure that the deceased are returned home. We join Africa in mourning the deceased who died in this tragedy,” DA MP Stevens Mokgalapa said.
Joshua has been very popular for many years with South Africans, many of whom, suffering serious or even incurable illnesses, have flocked to Lagos, hoping to be cured. Those who had sought his help included former Springbok scrum-half Joost van Der Westhuizen. The full extent of the calamity only dawned yesterday. Although the building collapsed on Friday and the South African consul-general and his staff had been on the site since early Saturday morning, they had not been able to establish by yesterday morning for certain if any South Africans had been killed or badly injured.
South African officials had learned earlier from the relatives of those at the church and through tour operators that at least five South African church tour groups were staying at the church at the time the building collapsed.
Joshua, now in his early sixties, established the church in 1994 and runs it more like a hospital than a church. It has different sections, including an emergency unit for the seriously ill and a children’s unit.
He has tried to implicate Islamic extremists in the building collapse, publishing a video purporting to show a mysterious aircraft flying low over the building four times before the disaster.
He told a televised service on Sunday that his church has been targeted before by Nigeria’s home-grown Boko Haram extremist group. He told congregants that enemies were trying to keep them from his church, but not to worry since he was the main target.
But Ibrahim Farinloye of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency said the building appears to have collapsed because of poor construction work.
He said workers were trying to build two additional floors onto an existing four-storey structure without reinforcing the foundations. More than 1 000 rescuers from several agencies were at the scene and have rescued 131 survivors.