Thuleleni Shabalala’s Family Holds Reburial in Embo, Hillcrest

After months of heartbreak and unanswered questions, the family of Thuleleni Shabalala, the woman who was buried without her family’s consent or knowledge, is finally giving her the dignified funeral she deserved.

On Saturday, 18 October 2025, her loved ones gathered in Embo, Hillcrest, to lay her to rest — this time with the full presence, prayers, and blessings of her family.

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Who Was Thuleleni Shabalala? The Woman Secretly Buried in Hillcrest

Earlier this year, Missing Persons South Africa News Desk reported on the disturbing case of Thuleleni Shabalala, who her uncle secretly buried without her family’s knowledge.
At the time, the family revealed that her body had been chopped and stuffed inside a gym bag, buried in a shallow grave at a cemetery in Langefontein.

Investigations later showed that her uncle had continued to collect her SASSA (social grant) payments even after her death. The shocking discovery prompted the family to demand the exhumation of her remains, which took place in March.

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DNA Results Confirm the Exhumed Body in Langefontein

After months of waiting, DNA test results finally confirmed that the remains exhumed indeed belonged to Thuleleni Shabalala.
This confirmation was crucial, not only for the family’s emotional closure but also because no death certificate had been issued when she was secretly buried.
Without it, the illegal collection of her social grant continued — adding to the family’s anguish.

Once the DNA results were released, the process to issue a proper death certificate could begin, allowing the family to arrange an official reburial.

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Family and Community Reactions to the Hillcrest Reburial

This morning, family members returned to the Molweni area, where Thuleleni had lived under the care of her uncle for more than 10 years.
The same house — now burned and abandoned — was where she allegedly died.

The uncle had claimed that Thuleleni died of natural causes, but post-mortem results reportedly suggested signs of unnatural death.
The community, angered by the shocking circumstances surrounding her burial, burned the house earlier this year after the exhumation.

Before the reburial in Hillcrest, the family held a traditional ceremony to “collect her spirit” from the Molweni home — a deeply symbolic act of restoring her dignity and peace.

Calls for Justice and Accountability

While the family takes comfort in giving Thuleleni the respectful burial she was denied, questions remain about how such a secret burial occurred without proper documentation or oversight.
Community members are calling for a thorough investigation into the uncle’s actions and for authorities to ensure that justice is served.

One family member said:

“We are relieved that we can finally bury her properly, but we still want answers. What happened to her should never happen to anyone else.”

What Happens Next in the Thuleleni Shabalala Case

The reburial brings emotional closure, but the family hopes this tragedy sparks greater vigilance around vulnerable individuals who depend on caregivers.
Authorities are expected to continue looking into the circumstances of her death and the illegal collection of her grant.

For now, the Shabalala family says they are focused on honoring Thuleleni’s memory and ensuring her spirit rests in peace.

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