Taxpayers Fund Zuma’s Pal’s Funeral

The cost of living is rising dramatically. People can’t afford electricity and petrol, and they’re battling to put food on the table. When it comes to laying their loved ones to rest, many have to resort to pauper funerals.
The people of KwaZulu-Natal don’t realise that while they are battling to feed their families. Jacob Zuma is using the taxpayer’s money to pay for a lavish funeral for his friend. Taxpayers Fund Zuma’s Pal’s Funeral.

Up, Up and Away, Zuma’s Pal’s Funeral

Funeral prices rose significantly in 2016. But South Africans are going to see the costs of burying a loved one rising sharply in 2017. In fact, the view of a chief executive of FNB Life has cautioned South Africans that burial expenses along with the general cost of living are going to increase significantly.

In spite of this grim outlook, Durban ratepayers have had to fork out more than R750 000 for a funeral for one of Jacob Zuma’s friends – businessman Don Mkhwanazi. This bit of news emerged during a meeting of the eThekwni municipality. City officials approved the payment towards the funeral of Mkhwanazi in July. And the funeral went ahead at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

Opposition parties may well be demanding answers, but in true ‘anything surrounding Zuma’ tradition, nothing will come of it.

Opposition parties are saying that the sum of money was much more than what the municipality usually contributes towards its Councillor’s funerals and memorial services.. This was the incident where eight children died in a fire at an orphanage in a Durban suburb.

The Rich Supporting the Rich, Zuma’s Pal’s Funeral

Mkhwanazi’s widow, a businesswoman, is a regular tender winner in the municipality too, and she sits on the board of the convention centre.

These are people already earning a fortune and enjoying many benefits, and yet the poor people of KwaZulu-Natal have forked up much-needed money which could alleviate some of their poverty and paid for a lavish funeral for a businessman who could no doubt pay for many funerals over and over again.

Even IFP’s N. Nkosi commented, saying how does it come about that poor people have to contribute so much towards a funeral of someone who has so much money as it is.

A spokesperson for the DA spoke about a sum of R200 000 which city counsellors get.  He said that they fret about ‘small’ amounts like this but don’t raise any eyebrows at a sum of money which is close to a million Rand for a funeral for someone who could surely have paid for their funeral. He pointed out that they can’t help poor people with funerals. But rich business gets support, not with 15, 20 or R30 000 but with R760 000.

One can only question how the money was spent. And if indeed, it did go entirely towards paying for a funeral. It is that just one of the main halls costs in the region of R100 000 to hire.

A Life well Lived?

People claim that the money was well spent. As it represented the person’s life and what he has contributed. It is believed that the funeral almost had the status of a national funeral. And once again South Africans sit without answers.

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All info was correct at time of publishing