Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - Family members of those who were affected by the collapse of a building at a church complex in Nigeria are anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Relatives have spoken about receiving little information about those who are believed to have died, as well as about those who were injured.
- Do you have friends or family who were affected? Send us your stories .
According to the latest reports, at least 70 people died and 130 were injured when the guesthouse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos collapsed last Friday. President Jacob Zuma announced late on Tuesday that 67 South Africans were believed to be among the dead.
Waiting at airport
The Star reported on Thursday that members of a Vereeniging family have been waiting at OR Tambo International Airport when flights from Nigeria arrive, in the hopes that their daughter and sister will walk into the arrivals hall.
Hlubi Molebatsi, 36, left for Nigeria last Tuesday. Her family believes she may have died but her body has not been identified yet. According to her brother, the church said it had a list of the names of those who survived, but Hlubi was apparently not on that list.
Hlubi's mother said she was disappointed by the department of international relations, saying they had given her little information about her daughter.
International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on Wednesday defended the government's handling of the situation, saying this was "not an easy matter to deal with".
Survivors
Meanwhile, a Durban woman told The Witness she was desperate to speak to her brother, who survived the collapse and is being treated in hospital. She said the family had begged him not to fly to Nigeria due to their concerns about Ebola and terrorism.
Another Durban woman said her sister had sent her a text message to say she had survived, but she has not heard from her since.
According to The Witness, people paid about R19 000 to travel agents for the trip to Nigeria to meet faith healer TB Joshua.
The Times reported on Thursday that a South African woman was rescued uninjured after being trapped in the rubble of the collapsed guesthouse for five days.
Lindiwe Ndwandwe apparently drank water from a broken pipe.
Call centre inundated
The international relations department says a call centre dealing with missing South Africans in Nigeria has been inundated with calls.
The call centre is operational 24 hours a day.
- The number for the call centre in South Africa is: 012 3511000.
