Workers at the privately-owned Mowbray Maqbara have contested the change in burial times and have spoken out about alleged ill-treatment from management.

This comes as the Moslem Cemetery Board had last year restricted burial times from 08h00-16h15, with gates closing at 17h00. This was opposed by the Western Cape Muslim Undertakers Forum who said no prior consultation with the Forum or the community had taken place.

The board however had said that it had been posted on their website and a notice was set up outside the maqbara.

On Sunday, the workers called a “public meeting” with the board to address their grievances following several attempts for these to be heard by management.

Among their grievances were the Board’s lack of AGM’s (Annual General Meetings) with its workers; not being provided with the correct uniform or equipment and the inability to work over-time to accommodate burials after “closing-time”.

One of the cemetery’s four workers, who are responsible for digging the holes and assisting with burials, Jonathan Charlie said when he arrived, he had to wait to receive the right equipment.

“If I ask maybe for an overall or a pair of boots, even a pick or spade, we must wait and fight for it… maybe two, three months. We even asked for meetings, but we don’t exist to (this people).”

Qashief Brink who has been working at the maqbara for 17 years, echoed Charlie’s statements and said the board has refused to meet with them.

“The community has to help us in our fight with these people, because the situation is getting worse. No proper answers are being given.”

Another worker, Junaid Charlie, said they have been subjected to ill-treatment from the community, sometimes even threats, for not burying after 4pm.

“The public hasn’t been good with us. Usually we could bury after sunset but if there’s a janazah before 4pm, we can’t do it. Then we get insulted.”

An attendee at the meeting, who did not want to be named, noted that the early closing times prohibited certain customs from being carried out appropriately.

The man cited the Salah-tul-Janazah, which he witnessed being done at the grave site.

“There are only certain times, according to Shariah (Islamic law), that allows for salah to be made at a kubus (graveyard). Why must the people be rushed because of closing times?” he asked.

Brink noted that the workers do not mind working overtime, as they understood that burials need to take place as soon as possible.

“Usually we’d bury until 23h00. For instance, if there’s a case where the person has cancer or was a diabetic, they have to be buried. The dead belong with the dead.”

However, workers have said management does not want to pay over-time, despite their willingness to do the work. They said people would pay them what they could afford to and the workers don’t mind.

“They want the people (to) pay us overtime- which is wrong,” said Charlie.

VOC News approached the Boards spokesperson for an official response, but he declined to comment.

Previous attempts to invite the Board to explain their time restrictions for burial were also turned down.

The Mowbray cemetery is privately owned and all operations are governed by the Board.

In an interview last year, the chairperson of the Western Cape Muslim Undertakers Forum Ebrahiem Solomon said the increase in burial prices is understandable considering the cost includes “the salaries of those who work at the cemetery and that the cost of living has gone up dramatically.”

But the workers told VOC News they only received a R10 increase for the past six years.

Due to a clause in their contracts and the lack of formal communication with the board however, Sunday’s meeting was declared illegal.

The chairman of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) cemetery management committee Sheikh Riad Fataar said the workers have been informed that they may submit their grievances in writing to allow the MJC to intervene.

On Wednesday, Fataar said he had still not received anything.

VOC