Zimbabweans in South Africa – What to Do When Someone Dies
In South Africa there are many Zimbabweans looking for greener pastures but who succumb to crime and die here. It is important for Zimbabweans to know the processes when someone dies in SA.
The cost of transporting the bodies back to Zimbabwe for the burial will cost the family alot.
Of course experts in the funeral parlour business in Zimbabwe have seen the opportunity. And have found ways to tap into this market.
They operate satellite offices and Zimbabwean-based funeral parlours in South Africa. And they charge in the region of R10 000 to R15 000 to transport corpses across the border.
What to do when Someone dies – Removing bodies to Zimbabwe
These funeral parlours take care of all the documentation for their customers in order to bring the body home to Zimbabwe. They offer different services such as providing a funeral vehicle for transporting mourners who want to attend the burial.
There are many add-on services in the funeral packages. Some of these include buying groceries and even digging services in Zimbabwe. Look at Tough Times Transport – they transport your loved one with dignity to its final resting place.
Some of the services they offer –
- they are available day and night throughout the entire year and they will transport the dead body within 24 hours
- they take care of all the legal documentation and make use of their 5-star fleet of air conditioned vehicles to transport passenger
- funeral service companies base their rates on a per quotation basis or at a rate of R5 per kilometre
- they cover any destination in South Africa as well as going beyond borders to countries such as Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland
- extra services include things such as the registration of death, embalming services, cold storage as well as interaction with the consulate for cross borders
What to do when someone dies – Take Your Pick of Transportation Options
Funeral homes offer a range of funeral transport options such as a hearse as well as other limousines of your choice to transport the family of the deceased to and from the ceremony. Funeral homes offer options. If the traditional hearse is too antiquated, you can opt for a Harley Davidson Hearse, a horse drawn hearse or a 4×4 hearse. Cool!
What to do when someone dies – The Death Notice
A death certificate is a formal document stating that someone has passed away. The death notice and registration of death is required by law. A doctor issues the death notice, which must go to the Department of Home Affairs. They in turn issue a Death Certificate approximately two weeks later.
Home Affairs then issues a death certificate. The family or next of kin don’t need to wait for the Death Notice. The funeral director arranges this for you. Certain people must complete the various parts of the death notice.
These will usually be the person reporting the death, the doctor, and the home affairs official. If a person is going to be cremated, a second doctor will examine the body to confirm that there is no reason why the body can’t be cremated. Both doctors sign the cremation forms.
Finally This
These forms are then handed to the medical person at the crematorium who gives the final permission for the cremation to take place. If a person dies of natural causes, the police are called in and then they organise the removal of the body to the State Mortuary where an autopsy will be performed and a death notice issued.
To get a FREE funeral cover quote please complete and send the form on this page
All info was correct at time of publishing