The fact that the remains of musician Caleb Nzinga will only be buried tomorrow, several days after he succumbed on February 29th, according to anthropologist Eduardo José Patrício, compromises the peace of his family
The expert explained to the newspaper OPAÍS that, for the Bantu people, from which a large part of Angolans come, the dead only have eternal rest when burial is confirmed. Caleb Nzinga was brutally beaten, with bottles, sticks and various blunt objects, after being accused of being a thief, on February 27th.
According to this newspaper, the remains will be buried tomorrow, totaling more than ten days in the Josina Machel Hospital morgue. Eduardo Patrício considers that for the Ovimbundu culture, which also does not deviate much from reality in general, normally the dead only have eternal rest when burial is confirmed. Until this act is completed, the pain of the family and society in general is greater.
“When you receive news of someone’s death, until you bury the body, for the Bantu people, their spirit is still not at ease, not only that of the deceased, but also the spirit of the living”, he stressed. He then added that “every event also affects the spirit of the deceased’s ancestors, who are also not rested”. In his point of view, true peace can only be found when someone’s burial is confirmed, whether a member of their family or not.
According to the source, both young Caleb’s family and Angolan society in general are still not at peace. This peace can only be achieved after the funeral has taken place. “For the African people it is not good. He should be buried as soon as possible, as the recommended period is up to four days maximum,” he emphasized.
Bearing in mind that the delay was due to a demand from the family who wanted the suspected killers to be arrested first, anthropologist Eduardo Patrício explained that “they should be buried as soon as possible and then the other processes should be investigated. You should bury yourself now.” For him, it is urgent to bury the young man’s remains, because the police, to investigate the facts, in many cases, do not depend on the presence of the victim’s body.
The professor also said that he fully agrees that the perpetrators of the death must be held criminally responsible, as the perpetrators of this unfortunate event are not only causing deep pain to the family, but also to society in general. The expert advises citizens ”to remain calm and cool down, taking into account that the legal authorities will do their work more quickly”, expressing hope that communication can flow to bring the entire table to the table true.
Family pleads for support for Caleb’s son and widow
In turn, the cousin of the deceased, Emanuel Augusto, said that the family’s biggest concern at the moment is for their 2-year-old son and Caleb’s wife, taking into account that he was the pillar of the house and worked honestly to support them. “We ask society and good-hearted people to look at this single mother who is going to raise this child alone, without a father to help”, he said.
According to Emanuel Augusto, the artist’s death lasted all these days because the family was waiting for an autopsy to be carried out on their family member, which did not happen on the scheduled date. “The autopsy was not carried out on the scheduled date because the medical team on duty advised that the procedure would not be necessary because the causes that led to his death were already known”, he stressed. The source said that Caleb, after being savagely beaten, was removed from the scene while still alive and taken to the hospital where he succumbed.
Therefore, the family set the date for the funeral for March 12th, at the Mulemba cemetery, known as 14, in the afternoon. “The wake will be held on Tuesday, 11th, at the Cazenga Historic Landmark, and the funeral on Wednesday, 12th, in the afternoon”, he stressed. He then added that “we will wait for all the funerals scheduled for the same day to finish and only then will we leave home for the funeral procession”. Emanuel Augusto stated that he has received support for the death from society in general and people from the Government.
On the other hand, he also said that the family hired a lawyer who is monitoring the process. Still, you need more help from experts in this field. “Anyone who is willing to join this cause will be very welcome”, he highlighted. He added that “the recommendation they have received from the lawyer is for the family to remain calm, wait for the funeral to take place and then continue the process”.