Family’s loss made worse

On July 5, at the Petersfield cemetery, a family went through a rough time when they had to fill the grave of their loved one themselves, which is the job of metro workers.

According to Ekurhuleni metro spokesman Samuel Modiba, workers at the cemeteries, like any other department at the municipality, have a half day once a month which falls on the pay day Friday, which was the case on July 5.

“However, if there is a funeral on a pay day Friday, an arrangement is made that the workers remain to close the graveyard and take the half day on another day,” says Modiba.

But when the funeral party got to the cemetery, there were no metro workers around.

The family was told by the funeral home that metro workers do not work after 12pm on Fridays, leaving the family no choice but to fill the grave themselves.

“The funeral home employees did not help us fill the grave, my husband and son and other family members filled it,” says Sandra van Rooyen, the distraught niece of the deceased.

The family contacted the funeral home after the incident and van Rooyen says the woman at the funeral services apologised and said the men from their company should have filled the grave and they will be dealt with internally.

It was, however, the job of the metro workers to fill the grave in the first place and Modiba says that the workers are supposed to wait for the coffin to go into the ground and for the family to leave and then close the grave.

“The workers that are found guilty will be dealt with according to the metro’s disciplinary procedures, ” says Modiba.

He urges the public to get in contact with the metro when incidents such as this occur.

“The complainant is requested to bring forward information with specific details when there is dissatisfaction. The following details could be helpful: the date of the funeral, the surname of the deceased and the estimated time of the funeral.”

The cemeteries division of the metro can be contacted on 011 999 4650.