FOOD costs a lot these days but giving your loved ones a good burial is even more expensive!
Which is why people ask what they can do to make these dire times affordable.
The answer is a society or savings club.
But beware of unstable societies that don’t last.
Malose Ledwaba, deputy chairman of Protea Glen Burial Society, said the only way to retain members is to be united.
“We decided that if a member loses his job we allow him to pay R100 every month instead of R250.
“This takes pressure off members who don’t have a permanent income. It’s not right to let members go just like that – some have spent more than 20 years with us!”
Most members are from Protea Glen but some hail from other parts of Soweto as well.
Their meeting venues change monthly and the host of the day gets R1 130 from the contributions to prepare refreshments for all 20 members.
The rest of the money is deposited in the society bank account. The money waits there until it’s needed to pay transport and funeral parlour fees for burials.
The society did not want to specify how much went to the bank or funeral plan.
If they lose a main member, they give his family R19 000. Death of a main member’s dependents gets R10 000 and includes children, parents and parents-in-law.
They invite people to join to avoid becoming one of those sad people heard on radio or seen on TV who struggle to bury their loved ones.
New members have to pay a R7 500 joining fee with a three-month waiting period.
