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Undertakers protest at Home Affairs over death certificates

Funeral undertakers protest at the Department of Home Affairs Head Offices in Pretoria. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)

Funeral undertakers protest at the Department of Home Affairs Head Offices in Pretoria. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
Undertakers protested outside of the Department of Home Affairs offices in Pretoria on Tuesday over numerous issues, including the registration of death certificates.

At the heart of these issues was certificates of competence (COCs), which allowed funeral parlours to operate and register deaths on behalf of the family.

Raisbe Pole-Nkosi, the president of the African Funeral practitioner organisation, explained that Home Affairs was responsible for issuing of COCs and that there had been delays, which, in turn, had delayed the issuing of death certificates on behalf of bereaved clients.

She added that the department also wanted to change the system and force undertakers to reapply for their COCs yearly, which would involve writing an exam and training.

Pole-Nkosi said this would not work as there were already delays in writing tests and issuing of certificates.

Among the other issues was that funeral parlours should be allowed to rent storage space from each other and that the red tape is sorted out to help start-up parlours succeed.

On Tuesday, undertakers were dispersed by police who used stun grenades, according to Pole-Nkosi. She said the protesters were peaceful, but vowed not to leave the building entrance until their demands were met.

 

News24 reported on Monday that while the Department of Home Affairs said it had “fulfilled its promise” to the Unification Task Team (UTT), the grouping of funeral associations and forums have threatened to shut down the department’s head offices in Pretoria on Tuesday.

In a statement on Monday, Home Affairs said it had granted provisional designation for funeral parlours or undertakers to temporarily conduct business relating to the department’s registration of deaths.

It issued a circular to staff, the provincial department of health and metropolitan and district municipalities announcing its decision.

Siya Qoza, spokesperson for Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, previously told News24 that they had noted UTT’s plans to protest.

“We don’t understand why other people should be inconvenienced by a matter where there is clear and constant engagement in UTT. What they are looking for is not something that can be implemented exclusively with Home Affairs.”

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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