A grave mistake at Westpark Cemetery
MONTGOMERY PARK – After the burial of Andries Van Zyl his family was shocked to discover he was buried in the incorrect gravesite.
Andries Van Zyl was buried on 9 November at Westpark Cemetery, but his family quickly realised that the place he had been laid to rest was the wrong gravesite.
The Northcliff Melville Times arrived at Westpark Cemetery as staff were digging up Van Zyl’s casket from the gravesite.
Speaking to one of the deceased’s relatives she expressed how disappointed she was with Westpark Cemetery management. She claimed that they had not taken responsibility for the incorrect burial of her uncle and had instead blamed the undertakers.
Matthew O’Conner, nephew of the deceased said, “Cement surrounding the gravesite made us suspicious that this was not the correct grave and I asked the staff here about three times if it is the correct place where we’re supposed to bury my uncle and they said yes.
But after the funeral, when comparing the gravesite number provided by the funeral parlour, and that of my uncle’s grave, we then discovered that this is not where my uncle was supposed to buried.”
Van Zyl’s family put on a brave face as they fought for the removal of the casket, but they were in shock and disbelief as they watched this happen. “We were correct in our doubts, look now, this is a mess! He was meant to be in another section.”
City Parks and Zoo’s spokesperson Jenny Moodley said, “Sadly the affected family was left distraught and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s cemetery staff intervened to remedy the error on the part of the funeral director.”
Moodley stated that the funeral director involved was to blame for the incident.
“The funeral director, should have engaged with the cemetery bookings office at Westpark, but rather consulted with security on site. This resulted in the burial in the incorrect gravesite. The funeral director then subsequently removed the casket and relocated it to the correct grave.”
Moodley urged funeral directors to follow all protocols when arranging a funeral and to verify allocated gravesites prior to arriving at a cemetery.
“Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo is sure that this incident would not happen again, and security have been advised in this regard as well.”
While at the scene of the gravesite, the family of the deceased who was going to be buried at that site the next day arrived as they had been called out to see what had happened. Both families shared sentiments of being disappointed by the incident.
Van Zyl’s body was then taken back to the mortuary after he was dug out of the incorrect grave, put in a new casket and reburied at the correct graveside later that day.
