Legal action on the cards for family who carried dead relative into Old Mutual
A KwaDukuza family who was forced to drag a relative's lifeless body into an Old Mutual branch after policy payout dispute, says the entire experience has been inhumane and traumatizing.
The family is now considering legal action against the insurance company for the trauma caused.
A video of Thandaza Mtshali and Ntombenhle Mhlongo carrying their relative in a blue body bag into a branch has gone viral on social media.
READ: Bereaved family drags 'corpse' to Old Mutual after failed policy pay out
According to the family, their relative, Sfiso Mtshali from Kwadukuza had died of natural causes on 7 November.
Mtshali's niece, Thandaza says they informed the insurance company and were told that they will be paid by 9 November.
She says she returned to the office on Wednesday last week to be told that her claim was still being reviewed and that officials did not know when she would be paid out.
Mtshali says she then returned on Friday to be told they were still busy with the claim but gave no reason as to why.
"I asked them how long the process would take. They said they don't know and they told me to make arrangements to get a loan for the funeral. I told them that I could not take a loan out for the funeral as I am not working."
"I asked them why they do not give me a loan. They said they could not in case they decided not to pay out the funeral cover. So I decided to take the body to the office as proof that he had died in the hopes that this would change their minds."
Mtshali says she then decided to take Mtshali's body so that officials could see the corpse for themselves.
"I told my family, maybe it is better if I leave the body at that office as I have no money to pay the mortuary. This was a sad thing to experience and I cried a lot. This was extremely painful and I never want this to happen to anyone again."
Mtshali says the company has not even been in-touch with the family to explain why their claim was not paid out on time.
In a statement released on Twitter, management at Old Mutual said that the incident was isolated and regrettable.
Management says they strive to pay 99 percent of their claims speedily but further assessments were needed for this claim.
