By Najma Bibi Noor Mahomed

The National Funeral Parlour Association of SA (NAFUPA-SA) is calling on a ban to prevent all white and Indian funeral companies from operating in black communities.

The organisation believes that the decision to prevent white and Indian owned funeral companies from operating in black communities will open business opportunities for township economy. In a statement circulating online, the organisation called for the ban to be in effect on February 1, 2018.

NAFUPA’s Secretary-general, Nkosentsha Shezi, says South Africa has done well in breaking down the barriers of Apartheid.

“We have done very wel;l black people have moved from the townships and ghettos into the areas that were designated for Indians and whites, whereas there is no Indian that has moved into former black areas.”

The decision to eradicate non-black businesses comes as a result of needing to create more job opportunities and business opportunities for people from the black communities.

“The ban sees to redress the many years of lack of opportunities for black people. We want to be able to take over our state as black people. We have been going for vigorous training in terms of customer service and business management so that come February 1 we are ready to serve out people.

“These people, the white companies and Indian companies, come in to steal the opportunities and we need to be given space to build townships and economic areas,” Shezi explained.

Listen to the full interview here

Meanwhile, the Funeral Industry Reformed Associations CEO Johan Rassaeu has come out calling on government to address the divide in the funeral parlour industry.

“We want to first distance ourselves from any form of racism within the funeral industry and at the same time we have to accept the fact that government has neglected the funeral industry,” Rassaeu said.

Listen to the full interview here

VOC 91.3fm