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The Unification Task Force (UTT) has called for a total nationwide closure of all funeral homes on Monday.
The president of the SA National Association of Funeral Practitioners (Nafupa), Muzi Hlengwa, said that all funeral homes are required to close their facilities during the closure.
Hlengwa said there will be no hospital or home removals, no burials or funeral supplies.
Funeral directors are asked to send their vehicles to hospitals and funeral homes in support of the closure.
“Going to work as laborers can provoke undertakers to commit to closing the national funeral.”
He said the funeral industry had been “reasonably patient” with the government, but had nothing to “show other than empty promises.”
“We need transformation in this industry and we need it now.”
The industry wants the outsourcing of mortuary facilities to be recognized and legalized.
“We want the bidding system in the funeral industry to be eliminated, so that families have the constitutional right to name their preferred service provider.
“When there are no families to choose a service provider, a rotation database should be applied. There are no offers at all, “he said.
Hlengwa said they want the government to consult with the funeral industry on any event that seeks to affect the funeral industry directly or indirectly.
Other demands include:
- The derivation of annual provincial schedules for the writing of designation number exams.
- Municipal bylaws amended to accommodate the construction of bulk or clustered or complex storage.
- The government will allocate a Covid-19 relief fund for the funeral industry with immediate effect.
- The funeral homes will claim and receive direct payment from the Road Accident Fund through the session contract.
- The National Consumer Commission to initiate commitments with the funeral industry to work together to regulate and recognize the funeral industry as a prominent sector in the country’s economy.
- The small business development department to channel part of its budget to the funeral industry through grants that will assist in the development of small and emerging funeral businesses.
Meanwhile, the Association of Funeral Practitioners of SA (Safpa) said that despite being part of the UTT, they would not be part of the closure.
“We are a regulatory compliance organization and we believe that there are other avenues that can be explored to address the challenges we face as undertakers in South Africa.”
The association said it had communicated its position to its members and that it would be operating to serve, participate and find solutions to the challenges at hand.
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