Durban family relieved Bahamas has agreed to release relative's body

A Durban family which has spent the past month trying to repatriate the body of a cruise ship employee who died in the Bahamas in February have overcome one hurdle after the government there agreed to release her body.

But now, the family of Mediterranean Shipping Company  (MSC) cruise waitress Buhle Bhengu, 30, from Umlazi, could be faced with yet another hurdle as local authorities will now have to negotiate with the UK and US to allow her body to pass through their countries.

The US is reportedly refusing.

The Bahamas government wanted to cremate Bhengu's body over concerns that her unexplained illness could be contagious.

Bhengu's sister, Mbali, told TimesLIVE that the family had gone through much pain since her death on February 12.

"It’s a very difficult time. Because of us this ordeal, we have had our mother admitted to hospital. She couldn't deal with it after we heard that she will be cremated. It was too much for us.

"The last time we saw her was last year in July so it would have been very painful for us to not even see her body. It was painful enough for us that we were not there for her when she needed us the most. Now we have heard that the Bahamas government has agreed to give us back the body. That’s a huge relief," she said.

Bhengu was due to return home on March 27 after her contract with MSC expired. However, she suddenly became ill in January after complaining of a sore body.

Mbali said her sister had told her she had gone to a hospital, where she had been told that she needed a blood transfusion. She was admitted to hospital around February 10 for stomach flu. 

"We tried to call her on Monday [February 11] but could not reach her and tried on Tuesday but still could not reach her, until MSC informed us on Wednesday that she had died on February 12," said Mbali Bhengu.

MSC South Africa MD Ross Volk, MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs Sihle Zikalala - in his capacity as leader of government business in the KZN provincial legislature - and Durban mayor Zandile Gumede paid the Bhengu family a courtesy visit on |Monday to express their condolences.

Volk told the grieving family: " We express our deepest sympathies to the family. She was a very respected and well revered member of our crew and we really appreciate the contribution that she made."

He said the company understood the trauma that the family was experiencing and had committed to helping.

Zikalala said the provincial government had taken the matter up with the presidency and the department of international relations and co-operation in an effort to assist the family to retrieve Bhengu’s body.

It was reported at the weekend international relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu had received a report from a diplomat in the region, Lumka Yengeni, on the circumstances and engagements involving Bhengu's death. Bhengu’s brother, Thobani Bhengu, and another relative were already in the Bahamas where they had been fighting to have the body returned to South Africa.