Cape Town - A Cape Town undertaker is expected to appear in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on Friday for fraud after he allegedly buried five people as paupers while their families believed they were cremated.
It's alleged the undertaker created the fraudulent cremation certificates under the guise that his clients were cremated.
The scandal, involving at least five families, was unearthed following an investigation by a Cape Town family who struggled to find their mother’s remains after a funeral service.
This prompted an investigation by the City of Cape Town’s compliance office together with the police, into burials and cremations conducted by St Francis Funeral Services in Kraaifontein.
The 64-year-old undertaker may not be identified until he is formally charged in court.
Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, said the undertaker was apprehended following an intense investigation, which involved different families.
“This office can confirm that the mentioned case number is a case of fraud, which was registered on January 8, 2025, by a 24-year-old complainant (female) at Kuils River SAPS,” he said.
“A 64-year-old male was arrested on January 22, 2025, and will appear in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on January 24, 2025, on a charge of fraud.
“One docket, with five cases of fraud.”
The City of Cape Town also confirmed an ongoing investigation.
”The matter is being investigated by SAPS and no further details are available at this point,” it said.
It is understood the investigation may include DNA testing, which is expected to include the exhumation of bodies and the ashes obtained.
Anita Momberg, distraught daughter of Tersia Murray, 66, from Kuils River, who died on August 5, 2024 due to cancer, was horrified earlier this year when she learnt the ashes she received was not that of her mother, and that she had in fact been buried six weeks after her death as a pauper at Welmoed Cemetery, among four other people.
Evidence exchanged between Momberg, including voice notes with the undertaker, was shared with the Cape Argus, where the suspect claimed he experienced delays with the crematoriums.
"My mom passed away on August 5,2024, and her funeral was on August 9."
“The following week, he (undertaker) was going to arrange for cremation.
“On August 20, I followed-up with the undertaker from St Francis Funeral Services, on where my mother’s ashes were as I was under the impression that it would be done during the course of the week.
“He said there was a delay at the crematorium.
“On the 22nd (August) my security guard contacted me to tell me that there was a parcel dropped off at the gate and it was in fact my mother's ashes and I never heard from the undertaker again.”
To Momberg’s horror, she received a call from a compliance official from the City of Cape Town, who revealed that they were investigating claims that a group of persons who utilised the undertaker’s services had allegedly been buried as paupers.
“In the new year the head of compliance from the City of Cape Town called me and said they needed to come and see me because my mother was buried and not cremated,” she said.
“She said the reason she was reaching out was because another family had a similar situation where their mom was supposedly cremated and the ashes were to be buried.
“When the woman was going to bury her mother, the graveyard asked for a cremation certificate, which she gave them, which had been provided by the undertaker.
“She was told the cremation certificate was fraudulent by authorities and that is when she logged an application at the City for access to information and her mother’s burial application was discovered.
“That is why the City contacted me as my mother was part of that group.”
Momberg said she then began the process of finding her mother, and found her grave this month.
“I went to the graveyard and spoke with the manager there and the detective confirmed that on September 18 2024, her body was booked out of the Blackheath mortuary and she was buried on September 18, 2024, at Welmoed at Kuils River at a public burial,” she added.
“My mother was supposed to be cremated at Maitland Crematorium.”
Murray’s sister, Jackie Ruppersberg, said the family had been using the undertaker’s services for years.
The Cape Argus made attempts to reach anyone who could speak on behalf of the undertaker but was sent to voicemail and no replies via their Facebook account were received.