Cape Town - The Khayelitsha community opened their hearts recently to bury one of their own after the family struggled to collect enough money for a burial.
The body of William Thembile Gini, 50, from DT Island informal settlement was lying in the mortuary for two months as his family scrambled to collect enough money for the funeral.
The family took to social media to share their plight. His girlfriend and the mother of his three children Nosakhele Mpoza, 43, said she looked everywhere for help. “After I received a call telling me about the death of William I tried seeking help from the members of the community. I went as far as looking for his family, whom I have never met, with no luck,” she said.
Following the post on social media Pastor Nozikhungo Tshona took it upon herself to find help to bury Mr Gini properly.
Pastor Tshona, who is also a member of Khayelitsha Religious Forum, contacted a fellow pastor who owns a funeral parlour to assist family by locating where the body of the deceased has been kept all this time and with funeral arrangements.
“I even went to the hospital where he was declared dead to get necessary information. Initially, everyone believed he passed away on September 29, but the BI Form from the hospital states that he passed away on September 9,” said Pastor Tshona.
A memorial service of the late Willian Thembile Gini will now be held on Thursday in Khayelitsha followed by his funeral that will also take place in Khayelitsha on Saturday.