Funeral homes are one industry that is suffering from loadshedding, which is bringing many sectors to their knees.
According to Zimoja, Pitso Maleka of PM Grave Closure claims that they are being hammered by Eskom’s loadshedding wrath. Pitso has worked in the funeral industry for 20 years after beginning as a grave digger. Pitso, who requested to be addressed as Mr. Mabitla (graves), stated that there are rumors that funeral homes are thinking about switching back to the Covid-19 system of interment, becasue of loadshedding.
“The truth is that we’ll be stuck in this loadshedding for a while, so as businesspeople, we need to be well-prepared. A backup generator can be a lifesaver for keeping the office running while loadshedding is happening “Pitso said.
A CATACLYSM BROUGHT BY LOADSHEDDING
He claimed that since bodies are kept in freezers for days at a time, they don’t defrost too quickly and can withstand four hours of loadshedding before something disastrous happens.
Other elements, however, make it difficult to keep things running smoothly. Pitso asserted that given the various departments within the company, it would be illiterate to only discuss the bodies at the mortuary and the generators.
Smaller funeral homes are having problems with diesel for backup generators, communication with clients due to network problems, and traffic light outages that cause delays in getting bodies to their destinations on time, the official said.
NAFUPA SOWS WARNING
Smaller funeral homes were particularly hard-hit by the loadshedding, according to Nafupa spokesperson Dududu Maganu.
Most people only consider storage or mortuaries—that is, the storage of bodies—when you mention loadshedding. Unexpected costs for diesel and gasoline have an impact on businesses’ cash flow, but this is not their client’s fault, according to Maganu.
COMMUNICATION BARRIIER
According to Maganu, communication is essential in their line of work because they also assist families with funeral planning and the processing of insurance claims. “As soon as loadshedding begins, network issues arise, claim processing is stopped, and families experience delays.
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Loadshedding is no longer a problem; it is now the norm, and no one is proposing a fix. Eskom is unable to assist us, and the government has no solution. The government hasn’t considered what it can do to help morticians.”