Funeral association hits out at undertakers defrauding KZN flood victims
Updated | By Nokukhanya N Mntambo
The National Funeral Practitioners Association says it has taken stock of dubious claims made by some funeral parlours in eThekwini as the sector grapples with an increase in burials.
This follows a catastrophic week in KZN, where floods left a trail of destruction, killing close to 400 people across the province.
The death tally is expected to continue rising in the coming days as mop-operations intensify.
READ: Govt urged to be transparent in allocation of KZN flood relief funds
Despite the mounting bodies at mortuaries, funerals were put on hold earlier in the week.
Burials have since resumed, but backlogs are still expected in areas where cemeteries were affected.
According to the association’s Muzi Hlengwa, some funeral parlours are taking advantage of the dire situation.
“What I’m worried about is the fact that there are undertakers who are now taking chances using the catastrophe that use find ourselves in to enrich themselves."
ALSO READ: Concern over possible fuel shortages as supply constrained by KZN floods
“They pretend as if they are donating funerals to assist those that have died; meanwhile, at the backend, they are going to launch claims with the metro.
“We are condemning this. We can’t have a situation whereby when we as a nation are trying to console each other and there are people who see an opportunity to make a quick buck and make themselves richer,” Hlengwa adds.
Government and NGOs are among entities that vowed to assist families to bury their loved ones and to rebuild.
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