THIS family burial society was established on trust so that no one could destroy it!
It was formed by the late Khaile Mathibela, in 1942, in order to help members bury their families with dignity.
At that time, he grouped together family members belonging to the Mathibela clan who lived in the Meets, Valsrivier and Kaallaagte rural areas of Free State.
Through the years it remained a small group until 2014 when they found more relatives living in Lesotho, QwaQwa, Reitz, and Bohlokong in Bethlehem.
According to Serame Mathibela, only the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces seem to lack Mathibela clan members – but they will continue looking.
“We will keep searching for more people so that our children know each other,” said Serame.
They meet four times a year at a member’s home to pay R120 each, which is saved for deaths in the family. Another R50 each pays for refreshments at the meeting.
If there is a death, the surviving family gets a R5 000 burial payout.
Family members who cannot afford the burial contributions or refreshment money are helped out. They get the same burial money as any other society member.
But the Mathibela clan has some big plans for the living relatives. They aim to buy a farm where they can plant veggies and raise cattle. They also want to plant trees which they can use to build their own coffins.
