Okahandja family in grave shock

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

Hours before a funeral was to take place at Okahandja yesterday, a family was shocked to find that no grave had been dug for their dead mother.
Although prior arrangements had been made with the Okahandja municipality, there was no grave when the family went to check at the graveyard yesterday morning.
After complaining to the municipality, the grave was dug at about 09:30, less than two hours before the funeral of Martie Davids was to start.
According to Deon Dawids, the family approached the Okahandja Municipality on Monday already to make the arrangements for his mother's grave.
My father went to look at the grave this morning, but there was nothing, said Dawids.
He said the municipality issued a plot number to them on Tuesday. They paid N$1 300 for the grave and everything was arranged.
When the family approached the municipality yesterday morning they were informed that there were problems with the machinery and that the grave could not be dug.
We were not even informed about this. They could have called us so that other arrangements could have been made.
Dawids came all the way from Australia for his mother's funeral, while other relatives came from as far as Cape Town, Rosh Pinah, Outjo, Usakos and Tsumeb.
I came to bury my mother and now there is not even a grave. We are running around here not knowing if the funeral will even take place.