A warm send-off for Mike Ramano from Riverlea residents
“For me, it was the nicest thing to have experienced where a community actually comes together and buries a person who is less fortunate.”
On August 3, a funeral was held for Mike Ramano (41) at the Riverlea Methodist Church by the Riverlea community. According to Randall Alexander, Ramano is Zimbabwean-born and lived in Riverlea since 2011, assisting at the nearby Pikitup depot.
According to those who knew him, Ramano was not formally employed by the company but chose to assist the residents who needed help at the dump depot.
Alexander, clearly touched by is tragic death, said, “He died a very sad death. Before they started with the renovation of the dumping site, they were living in a Wendy house. It was the security guard, Mike and “Witis”, so when they started with the renovations they installed two containers for the pair to live in. It was very cold and they started an ‘mbawula’ or brazier to escape the chill and brought it into the container to keep warm. Mike died after they closed the container. There was no ventilation so he died from inhaling the noxious fumes from the fire. They fell asleep but the security guard and ‘Witis’ managed to escape what would have been a certain death. ‘Witis’ was very close to death because of the foam from his mouth.”
Alexander said that a Clayton Mentor, a Riverlea called the ADT secuity company to check out the situation.
“They found Mike laying dead on his makeshift bed inside the container. Clayton said that he could hear agonised screaming from the container and he surmised that it was probably Mike taking his last breath.”
Ramano’s body was taken to a government mortuary in Soweto.
“We discussed what arrangements could be undertaken to give him a proper burial and Clayton said that he would retrieve the body and bury him. We ran around for two weeks to get his body released since we did not know his next of kin. The whole thing was a process. There were a lot of people who donated towards the funeral and we just want to thank everyone in the community who contributed to Mike’s beautiful send-off.”
Alexander expressed his appreciation and thanks for Clayton and Colleen Mentor, Julian du Plessis from the Langlaagte Police Station, Natalie Buys, Ashley Millers, Trudy Peffer and family, Candice Prim and family, Marisa Sauls, Fabian Hendricks, Arthur Williams, Lester from MM Funerals, and the Riverlea Methodist Church.
He added that Ramano’s body was first taken to the depot and then moved to the Methodist Church for the viewing and the funeral service. He said, “For me, it was the nicest thing to have experienced where a community actually comes together and buries a person who is less fortunate.”
Ramano was laid to rest at the West Park Cemetery. “He had a dignified burial which was heartwarming and touching. People then went for eats at the Mentor’s family home. He was a very humble person who never expected anything in return. He really had a heart of gold,” said Alexander. Ramano is survived by his girlfriend and three children.
