Monrovia – More than three months after the death of South African national Toni Khumalo, her husband, Samuel P. Jackson, is demanding the immediate release of her autopsy and toxicology reports, accusing Liberian authorities of prolonging the family’s grief and preventing her burial.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com
In a statement issued Monday, Jackson revealed that June 23 would have marked Khumalo’s 44th birthday and the couple’s third wedding anniversary. Instead of celebrating the occasion, he said the family continues to mourn as her remains have remained in a mortuary freezer for more than 102 days.
“Sadly, we are unable to celebrate these milestones because of the untimely death of our beloved wife and daughter,” Jackson said. “We are further devastated by the fact that her body has remained in a mortuary freezer for more than 102 days.”
According to Jackson, both the Jackson and Khumalo families have repeatedly appealed to Liberian authorities through legal representatives and public statements in an effort to obtain custody of Khumalo’s remains so she can be buried in her native South Africa.
However, he said the family has been unable to repatriate her remains because the Government of Liberia has not released the autopsy and toxicology reports required under South African law.
“Despite our numerous efforts, our requests for custody of the body have been met with silence and resistance,” Jackson stated. “We cannot proceed with the repatriation of Toni’s remains to South Africa without an officially established cause of death.”
Jackson recalled that Liberia’s Inspector General of Police, Gregory Coleman, had publicly announced that an autopsy would be conducted on March 16 and that the results would be released within 72 hours. He said toxicology tests were also promised.
“However, 102 days later, the Government of the Republic of Liberia has yet to release either report,” he said.
The prolonged delay, Jackson noted, has taken an emotional toll on Khumalo’s family, particularly her elderly mother, Eliza Khumalo, whose health he said has deteriorated amid the uncertainty surrounding her daughter’s death.
“The prolonged delay in releasing her daughter’s remains for burial has caused immense emotional distress and continues to adversely affect her health,” Jackson said.
While emphasizing that he does not wish to litigate the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death in the court of public opinion, Jackson expressed disappointment over what he described as the disappearance of public concern following the initial attention the case received.
“The lack of sustained concern raises questions about whether the pursuit of justice for Toni remains a priority,” he said.
Jackson is now appealing to Liberian civil society organizations, human rights advocates, and members of the international community to support the family’s call for the immediate release of the reports.
He also disclosed that a representative of the South African Embassy was present during the autopsy procedure and argued that both the embassy and the family deserve access to the findings.
“The Embassy, like the family, deserves access to these reports in order to inform the people of South Africa about the cause of death of one of their citizens,” he stated.
The circumstances surrounding Khumalo’s death generated significant public attention earlier this year, prompting calls for a transparent investigation. However, with no official findings yet released, questions continue to mount over the status of the investigation.
For the Jackson and Khumalo families, the demand remains simple.
“Our families seek only truth, closure, and the opportunity to lay our beloved Toni Khumalo to rest with dignity and respect,” Jackson said.
As of Tuesday, government authorities had not publicly responded to Jackson’s latest appeal.
