While doctors and nurses do all they can to fight the onslaught of Covid-19, many are still losing their lives to this deadly virus daily. Here, an entirely new group of frontline ‘heroes’ step in – the undertakers. Often forgotten, those who escort individuals to their final destination are under immense strain. The pandemic has skyrocketed demand for their services, but this has left the profession facing issues – with many dying of Covid-19 themselves. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Vice President of the National Funeral Directors Association, Lawrence Konyana, has said ‘the union is still compiling the total number of undertakers who have contracted Covid-19 and died, with many parlors too busy to respond to requests’. Below, Gabriele Steinhauser and Gulshan Khan of The Wall Street Journal document the turmoil that funeral parlour workers, undertakers and morticians face on a daily basis in South Africa.
A Coffin Production Crisis in South Africa
South Africa is the most affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent, with 1.3 million confirmed cases and just over 40,000 deaths, according to the latest data from the country s Health Department.
A toll that has been putting the funeral industry under immense pressure, as coffin-makers and undertakers contend with the unexpected increase in demand for funerals, while navigating a mini-crisis of production shortages. The biggest impact we are faced with at the moment is the shortage in terms of raw materials. It does disrupt production it does hamper us, it does put us on a back foot, said Kasie Pillay, a sales manager at Enzo Wood Design.
Undertakers slam rumours they receive R8k from WHO for Covid-19 funerals
By Thobeka Ngema
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Durban - TOP funeral bodies have denied receiving a subsidy from the South African government and World Health Organisation (WHO) following the spread of a social media post.
When the pandemic first hit the country, funeral associations and parlours pleaded with the government for assistance.
To express their plight, funeral associations affiliated to the Unification Task Team embarked on a three-day strike back in September 2020.
A social media post – its origin could not be established – alleged a family was required to pay R7 500 for sanitising and cling wrapping for the funeral service of a family member.
20 January 2021 - 07:56
An increase in demand for coffins is placing immense pressure on funeral parlours, forcing them to delay burials as they wait for supply.
Since the beginning of the festive season, the funeral industry has been struggling to keep up with the demand as the number of people dying daily has remained high. This has pushed the demand for coffins to unbearable margins.
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The novel coronavirus South Africa is spreading at a rapid pace and amid the surge in a number of deaths, coffin demand has increased sharply in the country.
WION visited ENZO Wood, one of the country's largest coffin manufacturer in Gauteng and was told by an official that the company is under "pressure" to meet the rise in demand.
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