KZN family forced to bury decomposed relative after Capitec body protest

A GRIEVING family from Melville, KwaDukuza, said they feel as though they have suffered a "double death" after being forced to leave a relative's corpse inside a bank branch.

This desperate act followed an alleged run-around by Capitec Bank in Stanger, which reportedly demanded further proof of death despite being presented with an official death certificate. Yesterday, the family faced the added trauma of burying their loved one in an advanced state of decomposition.

The Maliwa family told the Sunday Tribune's sister newspaper, Isolezwe, on Friday that being sent from pillar to post over the funeral claim, and being forced to remove the body from a private mortuary, caused the remains to decompose during a week where KwaZulu-Natal temperatures exceeded 30°C. On Wednesday, a video went viral showing family members leaving the body of Elizabeth Maliwa, who had died after a long illness, inside the bank.

Elizabeth's daughter, Christinia Maliwa, said that the family was devastated by their treatment. She explained they had run out of options after being given the run-around and decided to bring the corpse to the branch to provide undeniable proof.

"What can you do when you are grieving and need money for the funeral but the bank refuses? They didn't just end it there; they said they would not release funds if there was no proof that the person we say is dead is indeed dead," said Christinia.

She said they were puzzled by the bank’s stance, as it was not the first time they had processed a claim there. "I really do not know what the bank's problem was this time around."

Christinia said that when they arrived with the body, staff uncovered it to verify the death before finally commencing the claim process.

"The funds were deposited while we were still inside the branch, and we were relieved," she said.  However, the relief turned to fury when police arrived as they were leaving, asking the family to accompany them to discuss "something important."

"We agreed and left with my sisters, not knowing that when we arrived at the KwaDukuza Police Station, they would turn around and arrest them. When they asked for the reason, an officer told them they had "violated a corpse."

"We just wondered whose corpse it was that we were being arrested for violating," Christinia added.

The body was then stored at the police station's mortuary, and the Maliwa sisters were released the next day. Christinia said when the body was finally retrieved from the police facility, it was in an advanced stage of decomposition with maggots crawling over it. "The mortuary is not functional; there is no way a body should come out in that state," she said.

The following day, the sisters appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate's Court. "What still puzzles us is that everything was handled by our lawyer; my sisters were never called before the court but were just released. The lawyer informed us he will let us know when they must appear again."

During the funeral on Saturday, the family made the heartbreaking decision not to remove the body from the mortuary due to the decay but have it sent straight to the cemetery.

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN, said the matter had not been enrolled as the senior prosecutor directed further investigations.

This is not the first such incident at the Stanger Capitec branch; in July last year, another family brought a corpse in a coffin into the bank over a claim grievance, shocking staff and clients.

In a statement issued Friday, Capitec said: "We understand that losing a loved one is one of life’s most painful experiences. Families facing such loss are often overwhelmed with grief, practical arrangements, and financial pressure. We are deeply troubled by the events that unfolded at our Stanger branch, and our heartfelt condolences remain with the family."

"To process a claim, certain prescribed documentation is required. While this is a standard part of the verification process to ensure claims are paid correctly, we recognise that, in moments of grief, administrative requirements can feel overwhelming. In this case, the claim was paid within 24 hours of receiving the complete and valid documentation. We continuously review our processes to ensure we are serving families as compassionately as possible. This incident occurred in the presence of witnesses. We will cooperate with the SAPS where contacted."

SUNDAY TRIBUNE