The families of the five Ngcobo May 10 building collapse victims will each receive R20 000 towards funeral arrangements.
The collapsed shop wall killed two men and three women.
Emergency medical services personnel and other rescue workers spent six hours looking for survivors.
Eastern Cape Health Department provincial spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase, at the time said that five other people were admitted to All Saints Hospital in Ngcobo. Their injuries included spinal, head, and pelvic injuries, and a leg fracture.
Speaking at the memorial service on Wednesday, May 15, at the Ngcobo Indoor Sports Centre, Executive Mayor Siyabulela Zangqa said the municipality had visited all the affected families to assess their situations.
He said the municipality had found that some of the families could not afford to bury their loved ones while they were also emotionally scarred by their losses.
“We have since requested the services of the Department of Social Development for all involved. This includes those who survived the incident. We don’t want this incident to have after effects. We have also invited local businesses, and specifically funeral parlour owners. They have promised to give us coffins for all the deceased,” Zangqa said.
He said the funeral parlours that they approached have also promised to render all the services for the funerals, including providing hearses.
The municipality also approached businesses involved in projects with the municipality as a means of raising funds to help with the funerals.
“Through that fundraising we have managed that each family receive R20 000. That R20 000 will not be used for services provided by the funeral parlours.”
Zangqa said this was the way in which the municipality was showing support to the families. He said the support will go beyond the funeral arrangements, depending on the impact of the loss to the family.
“We have since been informed there is a child whose father died two months ago, and during this incident she lost her mother,” said Zangqa. “There are four children in the family, and we have to ensure that they are able to continue with their lives. Social development needs to assess their situation so that we can take an informed decision on how we support them.”
Zizipho Pasiya from Xhume Village in Tsomo lost her younger sister, Lelethu, who had been on her way to work when death struck.
She said Lelethu was the last born of the family.
“We are not doing well as a family. I have just been to the doctor. Lelethu leaves behind her three children who don’t have a mother now. She was working for her children. Even at home we were dependent on her because we are unemployed. For example, I am a hawker in Cofimvaba. Our brother is in Johannesburg looking for work,” she said.
She said Lelethu had been the one complementing their mother’s old age grant.
