THEY wanted to mark their late father’s final resting place with a special tombstone.
But they couldn’t perform the ceremony because the tombstone was never delivered.
Family spokeswoman Matshepo Thusi (33) said they approached Given Mogweemang, the owner of Cheap Tombstones, in Klerksdorp, North West, on 31 October last year.
Matshepo said the tombstone would cost R11 600, including taking it to Hammanskraal.
She said Given later demanded another R1 800, which they paid on 5 November.
She said they wanted to erect the tombstone in memory of their late father Lesiba Thusi (66) before the end of November, but they couldn’t.
“Given said the tombstone was sourced from Brits. Later he said the firm in Brits was closed for the holidays and would open in January.
“Given is unreliable. We want our money back.”
She said some relatives think she took the money for herself.
“In January we bought another tombstone and erected it to honour our father,” she said.
Mogweemang said: “I ordered the tombstone from Brits but when I checked in December they were closed for the holidays.”
He said in January he went there and was told the owner, an Italian, had sold the business.
He had apparently disappeared with the money. “I’m still trying to get the money together to pay the Thusi family.”
