Heard this story a week or so ago and have not yet had a chance to express my opinion of it. Here is a snap shot of the article from EWN:

Relatives of a South African woman who died in a Venezuelan prison said they are battling to find the money to have her body repatriated.

Siphiwe Lukhele died, apparently from natural causes, last week.

She was imprisoned on drug smuggling charges.

The International Relations and Co-operation Department has advised Lukhele’s family to consent to having her cremated, as this would be cheaper.

However, the family has refused, saying the practice is contrary to their culture.

Ok now seriously there are numerous things wrong with this. You go abroad – you break the laws of that country for what ever reason – we are all adults – stand up and be counted for what you have done and been caught doing. You knew the risks when you did it in the first place. You were caught – own up and take the punishment, that goes for you the prisoner as well as the family – this effects you all – now the family points fingers at government saying they are insensitive? As you do not have the funding to bring your families body back it’s the governments problem! Then on top of that you have the audacity to say they are insensitive, insensitive for fitting the bill to bring a prisoner home? To cremate their body and bring it back to SA. To what ends do you use the word tradition to point fingers and demand. End of story Siphiwe was a drug dealer and if you want the body home as a family then you must decide on the cremation or have them buried in the prison grounds.

Call  me insensitive!