South African Family Rejects Russia’s Offer to Bury Gauteng Man Killed During Military Operation
- The family of Mvuyisi Mredlana are hoping to get his body repatriated after he passed away at the D.D. Pletnev City Clinical Hospital in Moscow
- Mredlana, an unemployed Gauteng man, travelled to Russia after he was promised a driver job, but was drawn into the Ukraine conflict
- His mother confirmed that she received an offer from Russia's government to bury him in the country and to compensate the family
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG — The family of a South African man killed in Russia has turned down a written offer from the country’s government to bury him on Russian soil, insisting his body must be repatriated.
Mvuyisi Mredlana (36), an unemployed father of five from Gauteng, died on 13 March 2026 at the D.D. Pletnev City Clinical Hospital in Moscow. He was being treated at the hospital for injuries sustained during what Russian authorities described as a "special military operation."
He travelled to Russia in November 2025 after a friend promised him a driver job but was drawn into the Ukraine conflict instead. In a letter dated 11 June 2026, seen by News24, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the South African Embassy in Moscow to help obtain the family's consent for Mredlana to be buried in Russia.
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The ministry also requested that relatives submit the necessary documentation, translated into Russian and properly certified, so they could access financial benefits under Russian law.
Family wants Mredlana repatriated
Speaking about the proposal, Mredlana's mother categorically rejected it, insisting that his body be brought back from Russia. She told News24 that her primary concern is cultural, fearing that they would cremate her son.
"They want to cremate him, and that is against our culture. I want my son to come home."
Sineke also raised unverified fears about what may have happened to her son's remains after his death, saying she had seen paperwork referencing the donation of body parts, and alleged that some of his organs may have been harvested.
She also added that she had been invited to travel to Russia to claim the body and would be offered compensation, but insisted that any process must go through South African government channels.
"I want everything to go through our government so that if something goes wrong, I know where to ask for help," she said.
Ronald Lamola accuses Jacob Zuma of trafficking
Briefly News reported that Ronald Lamola discussed the challenges the government faced in repatriating the South Africans stuck in Ukraine.
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation spoke after four of the 19 men who were lured to fight for Russia.
He also caused an uproar in Parliament when he accused Jacob Zuma of being responsible for the alleged trafficking of the men.
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Source: Briefly News
