Mrs Mutshekwa Mahada, a granny from Mangondi outside Thohoyandou, is claiming that the funeral scheme she joined many years ago took her for a ride.

A fuming Mahada (73) said she could not remember when she joined the scheme, but has receipts to prove that she is up to date with her payments.

She said the company, Ntwanano Tombstones, African Burial Society and Nseketela Tombstones, recruited her at a pay point in the village. She said she joined the scheme in the hope that it would one day assist her in times of bereavement. She started contributing R60 and she is now contributing R90.

Mahada’s woes started a fortnight ago when she lost a son through illness. She phoned her scheme and was told to make her claim personally at the company’s head offices in Louis Trichardt. “I was very happy that I would bury my son with dignity, as the company had promised to take full responsibility for the funeral,” she said.

The granny’s other son, Takalani Mahada, said they went to the company’s offices on a Thursday. “We have been making funeral arrangements throughout the week and have informed relatives and friends that the funeral would take place on Saturday that weekend.”

He said he was shell-shocked when they arrived at the offices to be told that the company could not bury their brother on a Saturday but on Sunday, as the Mahadas had made their claim late. “This put us at a tight corner as we had already informed people that we would hold the funeral on Saturday. We had already slaughtered a cow for the funeral and there was no way we could postpone it to another day.People had travelled many kilometers to the village to attend the funeral,” he said.

He said the company also refused to give them the groceries they promised. “They told us the money for the burial would only be available during the next grant payment at the village. This shocked us to the bone as we have hoped that the company would be our pillar of support during our bereavement, but the company is adding a burden to the family. We feel they have taken our mother for a ride,” he said.

He said he was worried that his mother has contributed thousands of rands through the years but the company said they were only to give her a coffin worth R900. “This is really a disgrace and a curse on the family. How do they feel they can give somebody who had contributed thousands a cheap and worthless coffin and expect the family to pay more money if they want a better coffin?” he said.

“We do not want their services anymore. They are cheating elderly people with promises of better funerals that are not to be. All we now want is our mother’s contributions that she paid through the years,” he said.

Vhamusanda Vho Nndavheleseni Maumela said they had already advised the community against contributing to un-scrupulous burial schemes that vanish when death strikes a family. “Our people seem not to care as they continue paying their monies to companies that will never assist them in times of death. There are many reputable local burial companies, but people seem to ignore them and opt for the scams,” he said.

A Mr Mabasa, manager at the Tzaneen branch, said he had no knowledge of the claim. He said the family should lodge their complaints with the Louis Trichardt branch. A woman at the Louis Trichardt branch, only known as Annah, said she knew nothing about the family. “They are not registered at our office; maybe you can try the Giyani branch because they are from the Thohoyandou area. I am not going to give you my surname, I know you newspaper people will talk bad about me and my customers will run away,” she said, before slamming down the phone.

The chairperson of the Vhembe Funeral Practitioner Association, Mr Patrick Mahani, said the funeral industry is swamped with many fly-by-night businesses that are not registered. Mahani said they had no records of the company in their books. He advised people to approach their offices and verify whether the scheme they are joining is registered or not.

“Many of our people fall prey to unfaithful agents who sometimes do not register them with their companies and they only find out when death strikes in the family,” he said.