Mom given stranger's ashes
2006-09-06 23:43
Middelburg - Jannie Vosloo is furious that his mother was given an urn with ashes that have turned out to be those of a stranger and not her 74-year-old husband.
The undertaker, Danny Greyling, has acknowledged a mistake was made and that Alida Vosloo had the wrong ashes while the body of her husband, Philip, still was awaiting cremation.
There had been an increased demand for cremations, he said.
Greyling said: "A comprehensive investigation will be launched to establish how such a mistake has occurred."
Vosloo said he became suspicious after struggling to get his father's ashes following the memorial service held on August 24.
"Greyling undertakers kept on making excuses why I couldn't get the urn containing the ashes and I decided to 'phone around."
He found his father's body wasn't at the crematorium to which Greyling said it had been sent.
Vosloo went to speak to Greyling about the matter, but didn't refer to the crematorium where someone had told him they had never handled a Vosloo.
Knew it wasn't dad's ashes
Vosloo went to see Greyling again on September 1, and was told the urn would be available on September 4.
Vosloo said: "When I received the urn on September 4, I went to lay a charge, because I knew it was someone else's ashes."
Vosloo has decided now to make arrangements with a crematorium in Port Elizabeth.
Police spokesperson Ernst Claassen said: "A charge of fraud regarding the cremation of a deceased person is being investigated."