A funeral home that dumped the body of a grandmother inside a Capitec Bank branch as “proof of death” after the family was allegedly given the runaround on the payout of a funeral policy says they were acting on the family’s wishes.
“We were acting on the family’s instructions because the bank was not assisting them,” said Ndumiso Phakela, an employee of Khanyile Funeral Services.
“This was despite [the family] submitting all the documents [the bank] had wanted. The only option that the family had was to submit the body as proof of death. We did as they asked.”
Phakela said the funeral parlour was assisting the family with the funeral, which was expected to take place on Saturday.
“They were going to pay for the services which we were rendering. The bank was unduly refusing to pay out the policy despite having been supplied with all the documents they had required. We were only assisting to accelerate the claim,” Phakela said.
The incident brought the small rural town of KwaDukuza to a standstill on Wednesday morning shortly after the bank opened.
It was a gruesome and shocking scene, one that will take a long time to be erased in our memories
— Bank employee
A bank employee, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said employees were shocked when three women dressed in mourning clothes walked into the bank and dumped the body.
“They forced their way inside with the corpse in a body bag and placed it on the floor. Everybody was stunned and ran out. The bank had to be closed [after that],” said the staff member.
He said some employees had been referred for psychological assistance, while others had taken a leave of absence.
“It was a gruesome and shocking scene, one that will take a long time to be erased in our memories,” he said
The incident was captured on video and went viral on social media.
The women have since been arrested and are expected to appear in court on Monday.
According to the KwaDukuza police, the family had a funeral policy with the bank and were aggrieved that the bank was delaying the release of the funds.
“Reports indicate that the family had two policies with the bank for their grandmother; one was paid out, and the second was pending verification due to an unclear funeral parlour stamp,” the police said.
It’s not the first time that the Capitec bank in KwaDukuza has found itself in the spotlight. In July, another aggrieved family fighting the bank to release the funeral policy funds stormed the branch with a coffin.
Capitec said in a statement: “We extend our sincere condolences to the family during what is clearly an incredibly difficult and emotional time. We understand the sensitivity of the circumstances and deeply apologise to those affected. We recognise the impact this situation has had on those involved, as well as on our employees and the broader community. The branch has been closed while we manage the matter, and we are providing the necessary support to all affected parties.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.