Excessive funeral expenditure in the black townships, a pastoral challenge

Abstract

Funerals are still considered as very important and well attended occasion in the black townships of South Africa. In the recent past, traditional African funerals practices have affected a number of powerful and complex systems that have been interaction in Africa. The three most important being traditional African cultures, modern Western culture and the environment. The study was conducted to establish factors that led to excessive funerals expenditures in some black townships communities of South Africa, in order to create a pastoral response to this phenomenon. The project was done in Ramatlabama village in the North West province and also in Soweto in the province of Gauteng. A qualitative methodological plan was followed allowing exclusive experiences to emerge. Families, adults and young church groups, clergy, Bishop, Social group and a Funeral undertaker , an in-depth qualitative analysis was employed in order to find the real reasons that led to excessive funeral expenditure. The data collected and analyzed revealed that factors such as impressing neighbors, meeting community and family expectation were the reasons for the phenomenon. There were other external factors that contributed indirectly to the practice and such as commercialization and politicization. In order to address this practice that is making the poor more vulnerable, the Shepherding Model of Gerkin’s and Pollard’s Theory of positive deconstruction was explored. It was found that the Clergy needed to be helped to be aware of the fact that excessive funeral expenditure requires a pastoral response with the right attitude and meaningful dialogues with those affected. The pastoral care-giver with adequate knowledge and exposure to life of pastoral care seeker will have a greater advantage to help most if not all families that usually find themselves in this predicament or dilemma. The best way for the church to help the poor families venture into the future, it’s by educating our communities on how not to spend beyond their means.