Eusebius McKeeser.
Oba Popabe, / Rooster Pictures
- And darlings of media commentator and radio personality Eusebius McKeeser demanded an apology from the funeral parlour Afpop.
- His coffin fell at his funeral, reportedly due to a fault in the scaffolding and Avbob had B CompanyWriggling in actions, without the family’s permission, including on a gravestone.
- Avbob says she’s investigating and putting “all the facts together.”
Avbob Funeral Parlor says it is bringing “all the facts together” after friends and family of media commentator and radio personality Eusebius McKaiser posted an open letter to the company on Twitter, demanding an apology for the way his memorial service and funeral service were handled.
Avbob’s general manager of corporate affairs, Adrian Bester, said Wednesday that the company is “investigating the incident” and will respond, most likely, later in the day.
According to McKaiser’s loved ones, a fault in the scaffolding at his funeral caused his coffin to fall into his grave.
They also accused Avpop of “shameless marketing”.
In the letter, they also made the following allegations:
- Upon the family’s viewing of the corpse, Mackayser’s cousin had to give her lip gloss to the mortuary doctor to cover up the “second rate” cosmetic work that had left his lips looking dry and chapped.
- Without permission or deduction, the casket lining prominently displayed Avbob’s logo.
- Avbob-marked tents, kerchiefs, water bottles, and other paraphernalia were placed on site at the cemetery.
The brand was also on MacKiser’s tombstone in a “shameless, brazen piece of marketing”.
The family said that “the placement of the trademark was not up for discussion or discussion at any time in the run-up to the proceedings”.
Detailing the incident during the burial, they said the pallbearers were unable to properly place the casket on the scaffold because it was not the right size, which led to a chaotic and improper struggle at the start of the proceedings.
Read | Eusebius McKeesher’s family and friends remember the outspoken media personality
“This was eventually addressed by the mourners, who took matters into their own hands, as Avbob employees were so confused, they didn’t know what to do.”
When the casket was finally placed on the scaffolding, the supporting structure failed, and instead of being given a dignified burial, the casket crashed to the bottom of the grave, causing parts of the scaffolding, the carpeting beside the graves, and the flowers to fall after it, they said.
They want Avbob to replace his tombstone and they want to recoup the funeral costs.
They also called Avbob to apologize.
The letter stated:
Our position is that your company is exploiting this vulnerability to sell financial services to neighborhoods, and that you provide neither comfort nor empathy. Your Guides are calculated to maximize your profitability, and your business model focuses on marketing these services to people who are grieving, rather than comforting them.
It was signed by Nduduzo Nyanda, McKaiser’s partner, and many relatives and friends – many of them prominent media personalities.