Burial societies: A blessing and a curse

people at funeral
Yoliswa Dube
BURIAL societies have for many decades played an important role in times of bereavement by helping members bury their deceased.

A significant number of high-density suburbs across the country have residents who are active members of burial societies.

Just like companies that sell funeral policies, burial societies require monthly payments.

Although the premiums may in some instances be significantly higher than those of life assurance companies, most senior citizens still prefer burial societies.

When a beneficiary or any member of a burial society dies, he or she can only access benefits through consistently paying monthly subscriptions.

The benefits come in the form of a coffin, cash and food. The system has worked well for many, but for some, it has been a chain of disasters.

“I joined a burial society in 2009 and had never missed a single subscription. I’d been consistent with my payments over the years but I got a rude awakening when my sister-in-law died,” said Nomsa Dube, a former burial society member in Tshabalala suburb.

She narrated how the burial society at which she was a member snubbed her at her time of need because she had missed a single payment.

“I couldn’t believe it. After being faithful to the burial society for so many years, they said they couldn’t give me money because I had missed a payment.

What happened to all the money I had been paying over the years? I tried so many times to convince them that I’d update my subscriptions after the funeral but they just wouldn’t listen,” said Dube.

She made frantic efforts to access the funds to no avail. “I ended up borrowing money from other people so that we could just bury my sister-in-law. I regretted ever being part of the burial society.

Think of all the money I wasted, it could’ve been used for other things,” said Dube.

Many like Dube have dismissed burial societies as money-making pyramids which seek to make profits and benefit specific people while neglecting the real needs of their members.

They no longer believe in the system, which in some instances, shows a skewed security system for funds.

A significant number of burial societies keep society funds at homes following the yesteryear collapse of financial institutions that deterred many people from depositing money in banks.

This has not always ended well.

Beatrice Sibanda, the treasurer of Sibanye Burial Society based in Bulawayo’s Pumula South suburb, allegedly embezzled $13,000 belonging to the society.

She told police that two armed robbers raided her house and stole the money.

Sibanda appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Themba Chimiso facing charges of theft and deliberately supplying false information to a public authority.

This is not an isolated incident.

Another burial society treasurer in Bulawayo allegedly embezzled $2,400 and made a false theft report to the police in a bid to cover up the offence.

He allegedly converted the money to his own use but lied that the money had been stolen in a kombi as he was on his way to deposit it in a bank.

A 62-year-old woman ran out of luck and was handed a five-month prison term for stealing $2,816 from a burial society.

Despite the reported incidents of theft and embezzlement of funds at burial societies, there are some who still view them as beneficial.

“I’m a hairdresser and don’t always make the same amount of money every month.

My monthly income fluctuates depending on the number of clients I get each month so I can’t afford the subscriptions of big companies’ funeral policy,” said Barbra Ncube.

Her burial society demands $150 every three months. The three months afford her time to raise the money.

“I’ve plenty of time to plan for the next subscription so the payment plan is convenient for me. It’s unlike these big companies which may refuse to pay you in the event of a death, if you miss out on payments,” she said.

Ncube says the burial society is helpful at funerals as it readily provides catering services and contributes towards buying a casket, transport and other associated funeral expenses.

Traditionally, burial societies in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the region have functioned as a means of informal insurance for low-income earners who rarely qualify for life assurance policies.

They target groups which would otherwise struggle to afford the high costs of a funeral which could run into thousands of dollars.

The majority of people who belong to burial societies don’t qualify for life assurance policies because they are in the informal sector.

In order to grow their funds, some burial societies have invested in income-generating projects.

These help augment the available resources and cater for other needs other than funeral expenses. Enterprising groupings have branched into covering medical costs and school fees if the need arises.

“Burial societies’ commercial ventures will remain small and informal unless members receive training and support to improve their management skills.

They’re increasingly realising that their role will be easier if they extend it to generate income to cater for their social needs,” said Tafara Gomo, an economist.

Burial societies retain their identity as social grassroots groupings guided by the need to provide decent burial to their members, but they are increasingly realising that their role will be easier if they extend it to generate income to cater for their social needs.

“The most important thing to do as a grouping of people is realising that there’s always a bigger picture. Of course the core business is to cater for funerals but we need to think about what happens in-between.

“It’s important to think about what else can be done to benefit members of the society,” said Mzingaye Mkhwananzi, a wealth creation officer who is also a member of a burial society.

He said he was part of the burial society primarily because it was good investment ground.

“I don’t get cash back per se but I know when the need arises, I’m able to access funds.

“Now, burial societies are not only about old people saving money to bury each other. They’ve evolved into businesses which address the needs of its members,” said Mkhwananzi.

Some burial societies are trying to move with the times. Most of today’s burial societies are run professionally and have  acquired buildings.

They continue to grow their revenue bases and meet the social needs of their members.

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