UNDERTAKER Thandeka Khoza buried many people during the dark days of lockdown in February.
But now she’s living in fear of losing her own life.
A MASHONISA IS ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO TAKE HER OUT!
Thandeka borrowed money to save her struggling business, and now the mashonisa wants the R29 000 she still owes him or he will make her suffer.
She said on 6 June the mashonisa came with 10 men armed with knobkerries and pangas, demanding money and she fled her house in Mahushu, Mpumalanga.
Today she’s hiding in a plastic makeshift shack bushes on the East Rand.
“It was scary. It is not like I don’t want to pay back the money. I just want the man to give me some time.”
She borrowed R40 000 in February and she has repaid R11 000. She said she borrowed money to bury families whose claims were not paid in time.
“Some would promise to pay later. Because the bodies were in my mortuary I was forced to make a plan,” she said.
“I had to borrow money from the mashonisa to buy coffins. Some customers wanted caskets. I had to pay salaries.”
Thandeka said she’s been trying to speak to the mashonisa to plead for more time, but he didn’t want to understand.
Nosipho Mabuza, Thandeka’s friend and a fellow undertaker, confirmed that her friend ran away from mashonisa after borrowing R40 000.
“Thandeka is a kind person and when families come to her for help, she couldn’t turn them away.
“She borrowed money, thinking people would pay in time but they never did,” said Nosipho.
A receptionist at the business said it was difficult, but they wanted to work hard to make money and pay the debt.
Nosipho said three employees were laid off after they were found to be taking money when customers came to pay.
A neighbour said she thought Thandeka had been killed after not seeing her for some time.
When Daily Sun spoke to the mashonisa he didn’t seem to care.
When the People’s Paper tried to explain, he said all he wanted was his money. “She didn’t pay in the agreed time. She must just pay the R29 000 she owes me,” he said.
