South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has granted provisional designation for funeral parlours or undertakers to temporarily conduct business relating to Home Affairs registration of deaths.
This was made known in a circular issued to staff, provincial departments of health and metropolitan and district municipalities by the Home Affairs Department.
In an engagement with the leaders of the Unification Task Team in Pretoria last week, Home Affairs Director General, Tommy Makhode, undertook to consult the Department of Health and the SA Local Government Association to seek their inputs in revising the regulations and implementation of issues related to the management of human remains.
According to the department, all the parties have agreed to continue working together to find a lasting solution to these challenges.
“They have agreed that the Department of Home Affairs can issue a provisional designation for funeral undertakers to conduct their business for a period of 12 months, while the parties find a lasting solution,” the Department of Home Affairs said.
As part of this agreement, applications to be designated funeral undertakers are required to comply with the following:
- Proof of storage lease agreement as certification of the business relationship for processing or keeping and cold storage of the deceased with a facility issued with the Certificate of Competence.
- A Certificate of Competence of the person (lessor) leasing the premises or part thereof, taking into account that the lessor may only lease premises or part of the premises with a valid Certificate of Competence.
