PETER BRUCE: Under deluge, the poor Eastern Cape is, frankly, broken
A few kilometres from the sea on a flat, lonely piece of wind-whipped grassland, a funeral took place on Tuesday morning. There were 50 family and friends at the grave. The grave had been dug and the body buried and covered the day before by men wearing silver hazmat suits. They sprayed disinfectant on the grass around the grave when they were done.
Another day, another grave in rural Transkei. The young woman in the ground, still in her thirties, had died in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, weeks before, after being taken to hospital by housemates complaining of chest pains and difficulty breathing. As far as the friends knew, she had died of a chest complaint. The body was placed in a mortuary while funeral arrangements were made and the arduous process begun of filling in the forms required to return the young woman home for burial...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.