RESIDENTS FEAR MLUMATI RIVER IS CONTAMINATED BY MORTUARY DIRT

MATSAMO – Residents of Matsamo are complaining that the Mlumati River, where they collect water for domestic use, could be contaminated by dirt from a nearby mortuary.

The residents have argued that they are sharing the same water which is also used by Ekhaya Funeral Services to wash their burial equipment such as mats, decoration cloths, tents and other items.
The Times Investigations Desk has established that the mortuary conducts a weekly wash at the Mlumati River.
Dirty mats and tents are washed at the river.

Sabelo Sigudla, who spoke on behalf of the residents, said they believed they were drinking contaminated water.
“It doesn’t go down well with us. Truly the first thing that comes to mind when you see mortuary items being washed in a river is that you are drinking the dirt from that equipment. As residents we don’t understand why the mortuary makes us drink the same water they use to wash their dirt,” Sigudla said.

Mats

Times journalists visited the mortuary on Thursday and four workers were found drying mats on the mortuary’s fence.
Sipho Magagula, a driver at the mortuary, said they had washed the burial mats and cloths at the Mlumati River.
“Yes we are from washing at Mlumati. We were using brushes,” he said.   

 Musa Vilakati, the Director of Ekhaya Funeral Services, confirmed that the mortuary uses the Mlumati River to wash its equipment.
He, however, said residents should have nothing to worry about because the washing exercise is done near the banks of the Driekoppies Dam.
Vilakati said according to his understanding there were no residents who used water beyond their washing point. 

“We are aware about the complaints from the residents. We have since resolved to stop washing our burial material at the river. In fact, we only wash tents, mats and the cloths we use to cover the chairs used by mourners,” he said.
Vilakati explained that the mortuary has a sewer system where the water used to bath corpses is being deposited.
He said some of the items used for burial were washed within the mortuary compound.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: