Mortuary struggles to wash bodies
EVERY Monday and Friday, funeral parlour owner Mike Seemane buys dozens of drums filled with water to wash bodies in order to fight the foul odour of death.
The parlour, which stores 38 bodies, is close to a residential area, and Seemane makes it a priority that he does not offend his neighbours with the bad smell.
Like most businesses in Majakaneng, North West, that depend on water, Seemane sometimes finds it impossible to work efficiently.
“We need water badly because it affects how we work. Every time we receive a new body we must wash it. We also wash all the bodies on Fridays to prepare them for burial,” Seemane said.
He also assists with paupers’ burials, and sometimes there are bodies he keeps for longer because they have not been identified.
“It’s very difficult to ensure that all the bodies have been prepared if I don’t have my own efficient water supply. I don’t have a borehole,” Seemane said.
About 90% of the community depend on the few residents that have boreholes and water tanks.
A borehole could cost up to R15 000 to install.
Emily Mokwena runs her household of 11 people on five 25 litre containers per day. They use the water for cooking, drinking, bathing and laundry. “They just dumped these water meters and never came back.
“Even the R1 we pay for 25 litre containers is too much because many of us depend on grants for income, which is also not enough,” Mokwena said.
Gideon Masego, who runs a car wash, and Chavi Sithole, a hairdresser, said their businesses were suffering because of lack of water.
“I pay R100 monthly to my neighbour for water. Sometimes I’m forced to only do chiskops because S-Curl and other hairstyles need water,” Sithole said.