BONGANI Rikert died and was buried as a pauper in 2023, but now his family believes his spirit never found peace.
His aunt, Maria Motlokwa from Moleleki in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, said they were haunted by the deceased nephew's restless spirit.
She said Bongani would appear in her dreams, telling her it's cold where he is.
"As a seer, I would see Bongani in dreams. He kept telling me he was in the wilderness and uncomfortable. It troubled me deeply. I had seen him in three visions, first in a dark place, then in a cold state, and finally, he appeared lost," said Maria.
She explained that Bongani (33) had lived on the streets and struggled with drug use.
The family had lost touch with him and didn't know what had happened.
She said the family learnt that when Bongani died, cops from the Elsburg Police Station attended the scene, and he was taken to the government mortuary.
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Maria said Bongani's friends claimed he died after a drug overdose.
The mystery surrounding Bongani's fate ended last year when the family discovered he had been found dead in September 2023 and buried as an unidentified pauper in a government cemetery.
"We applied to the government for his exhumation so we could give him a proper burial," Maria said.
"My visions were right. He hadn't been laid to rest in a dignified way. We're grateful we finally found him," said Maria.
She revealed that police told them Bongani had been buried in a grave shared with two unknown men. He was exhumed in July this year.
Maria believes her nephew caused a car accident involving her child to draw her attention to his messages.
"He came to me in a vision afterward and said the accident was meant to wake me up, so I'd listen. Now that his remains have been recovered, the family is preparing to give him a respectful funeral," she said.
Maria said Bongani came back in a dream and thanked her.
"I'm so relieved he'll finally be buried properly, and as a family, we'll have a grave to visit. He even told me to keep praying and must not stop attending church services."
Police spokeswoman Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed that Bongani was buried as a pauper and that his family had since come forward to claim him.
