Cape Town – The Muslim community can expect to pay more for burial services if their relatives die of Covid-19.
Chairman of the Western Cape Undertakers Forum, Ebrahim Solomon, says that costs of Covid-related janazahs have increased due to new protocols.
“We need to wash the body at a particular location if it’s a Covid-19-related death, which could cost R300 and R400 more if it’s after sunset,” says Solomon.
“The disinfection and sanitisation is an extra cost. We need to go into full PPE (gear) when collecting the bodies and washing the bodies.
“Cemeteries also charge up to R500 more for a grave booking if it’s a Covid burial.”
The undertaker says burials have changed tremendously since the beginning of the pandemic “simply because there are more janazahs in a day”.
“I’ve done more funerals for the month of June than what I’ve done for the whole of 2019.”
Faizel Sayed, secretary of the Mowbray Muslim Cemetery, says the amount of graves booked since the pandemic started has increased.
“At one point we had 30 graves on standby and within a couple of days, those graves were all used. Currently, we are digging five graves per day in these adverse weather conditions and all five are being used per day.”
MJC Deputy President Sheikh Riad Fataar says they are looking at ways to reduce the costs.