[ad_1]
- Coffins were placed on the N2 as protesters made their way to central Cape Town.
- A group of about 100 undertakers was heading to the Cape Town Department of the Interior.
- The action is understood to be part of a three-day national shutdown of services by the funeral industry.
On Wednesday morning, undertakers stopped the N2 in Cape Town, laying coffins on the road as a convoy of protesters headed into the city center.
The action is understood as part of the three-day national shutdown of services by the funeral industry, led by the Unification Task Force (UTT), a grouping of 17 funeral associations and forums, which began on Monday.
Cape Town City Traffic Services spokesman Richard Coleman said a group of about 100 undertakers, heading to the Department of Internal Affairs in Cape Town, stopped on the incoming N2 at Airport Approach Road and they placed coffins on the road.
The authorities were on the scene.
N2 incoming blow due to gravedigger’s protest
The protesters then continued their way into the city without further interruption, he said.
UTT said the action was being taken because the government had not done enough to ensure that the industry was diverse and transformed, arguing that since 1994, the industry was still dominated by “white minority capital” and a handful of “black elites.” .
Its national coordinator, Peter Matlatle, had warned that during the closure, bodies would not be removed from hospitals or homes and there would be no burials.
Among the demands of the work team are the recognition and legalization of the outsourcing of mortuary facilities; a Covid-19 relief fund for the funeral industry; the statutes of the municipality will be modified to accommodate the construction of bulk or cluster storage or complexes; and for funeral homes that did not possess a certificate of competence, to write a designated number of exams and so that funeral directors could designate a proxy to perform some of the tasks on their behalf.
Did you know that you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
