Ntsebeng Motsoeli
THERE were chaos at a funeral in Butha-Buthe this weekend after some mourners demanded to view the body of their late relative who died from Covid-19 before the corpse could be buried in violation of regulations to contain the spread of the virus.
Three undertakers from a mortuary in Hlotse, Leribe who had been hired to transport the deceased woman’s body to Butha-Buthe as well as conduct the burial had to abort the mission after unruly mourners demanded that they unwrap the body for viewing.
The mourners insisted the body viewing- a traditionally acceptable practice in many cultures- was necessary to ensure the right person was buried.
The mourner’s demands were however, in contravention of current public health regulations which strictly require that bodies of Covid-19 victims should be tightly wrapped up, not subjected to viewing and be buried without delay to avoid spreading infections.
According to a family representative, Letsika Seeta, the woman, whose name has been withheld, died of Covid-19 complications at the Butha-Buthe Government Hospital last week.
Mr Seeta said he had communicated the news of the woman’s demise to the immediate and extended family. He said he had explained to them that the body would be brought home straight to the cemetery for burial without any viewing.
He said everybody seemed to have understood the arrangement but he was shocked when at the burial site, his three brothers demanded to view the body before it could be buried.
“The situation turned ugly after my brothers began hurling insults at the pallbearers daring them to bury our relative without allowing them to view the body to confirm that it was indeed hers,” Mr Seeta said.
“Initially, the undertakers ignored the insults but they eventually got offended when the mob grew larger. Women joined in insulting them and shouted them down as they attempted to explain why the body could not be viewed.
“Fed up, the undertakers eventually aborted the ceremony before its completion. As they departed the scene, they told the rowdy crowd that they could only open the coffin and view the body at their own risk.
“This prompted some of the mourners to leave as well. Even some of the people who had been part of the mob abandoned the ceremony and left close relatives to conduct the burial.
“In the end we had to pay the undertakers M1000 for services which were not fully accomplished due to my brothers’ behaviour.
“They caused our family shame and exposed many people to infection. People still have to lot to learn about this disease,” Mr Seeta concluded.
