TWO enduring constants in life are death and change.
These two intertwined phenomena serve as markers when history is told.
The Spanish flu, the Holocaust, the battle of IsaNdlwana and the two world wars are just some examples of this dance of life.
Covid-19 will no doubt go down as one of the major events that changed the course of history.
Given the unprecedented devastation we experience, Dale Renton’s words, ‘When what you hear and what you see don’t match, trust your eyes’, ring true.
The pandemic has challenged some of the dogmas we hold close to our hearts about life.
Let’s start with death.
It doesn’t matter what creed, race or station one holds, death doesn’t discriminate. It is equally grave for everyone.
Death robs not only the immediate family of a loved one, but has a wider impact. For example, the dead don’t feed families or pay taxes (the other constant in life we cannot escape from).
To demonstrate respect for the departed we perform certain rites, which includes the viewing of the body.
However, the pandemic has disrupted even that sense of closure.
At the height of the scourge, departed loved ones simply ‘disappeared’ as strict protocols prohibited traditional send-off rituals.
Only close family members were and are allowed to be part of the deceased’s final journey.
Rituals such as night vigils and the washing and adornment of the body were not permitted, while church services were strictly monitored to prevent super-spreader outcomes.
Ironically, there has been at least one benefit – a reduction in the cost of laying the dead to rest.
No fancy foods, decor and venue expenses are now necessary as the pandemic lurks behind every handshake and every tea cup or plate of sweet treats proffered.
And then the change.
Covid-19 has changed where and how we bury the departed. The image of the clearing of land and the digging of countless graves in one of our provinces is still vivid in our minds – a disturbing indication of lack of burial space developing in the country.
Cemeteries are filling to capacity and tensions are rising. The challenges we face, perhaps, require us to rethink our traditional ways of burying the dead.
Some of us strongly believe that the dead go to another world – they don’t die.
So, for this group, cremation is not an alternative, but rather an invitation to something more acrimonious than the pandemic itself.
The reusing of graves is met with the same disquiet.
Given the emotive nature of death, honest discussions around these issues are inevitable and cannot be left to the government.
Communities must take centre stage in coming up with solutions to this complicated and delicate issue.
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