Helping Hands – SunLanders share their stories
Matsamela’s story – A tragic wedding day death
On what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, his wedding day, tragedy struck Matsamela Sefatsa after his cousin died on the morning of his big day.
"I was very disturbed that day because I was supposed to celebrate but I ended up mourning," he says.
Sefatsa’s cousin, Teboho Malekganye, died from an apparent poisoning just hours before Sefatsa was set to tie the knot. As a result, he had to cancel his wedding day and instead held a small ceremony the following day.
"It was painful even though I was seated on the chair and trying to enjoy it; I didn’t because all I could think of was how I was going to bury my cousin and where I was going to get the money. My cousin was the best to me. He loved dancing and going to traditional healer ceremonies. He used to sing so much and dance. Whenever I attended those ceremonies I miss him and wish he was there to celebrate with me," he adds.
Malekganye had been staying with Sefatsa, so the responsibility of planning the funeral fell on him. Given that he had just paid for a wedding, he had no money to pay for the funeral and turned to loan sharks.
"He was in a government mortuary. I went to various burial societies looking for quotations and the prices were too high. Because I wanted to make sure that he got a dignified funeral, I went to loan sharks to get money to bury him," he says.
Although planning the funeral was one of the toughest things he has had to do, he finds solace in knowing that he was able to give his cousin a dignified funeral and the coffin he deserved.
On days when he misses his cousin, he clutches the vibrant and colourful beads Malekganye made for him and recalls some of his favourite traditional songs.
Watch Matsamela’s story here
Remember Clientèle Life offers you a free Funeral Guide with important steps to remember if a loved one passes away. The Funeral Guide is available in six different languages, includes a funeral planning check list, a Life File and Will template. All readily available for download from the Clientèle website
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