Cape Town – The body of a South African pastor, Siva Moodley, remains at a funeral parlour in Gauteng, as his family reportedly awaits his “resurrection”, a year after his death.
The pastor was the founder of The Miracle Centre in the north of Johannesburg.
Moodley, 53, died on August 15 last year after falling ill.
His remains have been kept at the Martin’s Funeral Home since then, reports said.
The manager of the funeral home, Martin du Toit, confirmed that the pastor’s body was still at the mortuary, reported IOL.
“After Pastor Moodley’s death, his family and members of the church used to visit the funeral home to pray for his resurrection. The last visit was in September last year. Nobody has come to view the body since then. There is no news about his funeral,” the report quoted Du Toit as saying.
The report said that Du Toit lodged an application with the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court to grant him permission to have Moodley buried or cremated but the matter has not been heard by the court.
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“It is a civil matter. I cannot make the decision to bury or cremate him on my own. It has to come from his family but they are not saying anything. He was a well-known man and does not deserve this kind of treatment. I hope the court can provide some relief,” the report quoted Du Toit as saying.
According to the report, since Moodley’s death, services at this church have continued as normal under the pastor’s wife, son and daughter.
The South African reported that extended family wanted the pastor’s wife to bury him.
“He has three brothers and two sisters. They are surprised about what has happened. They have not been able to view his body. They know nothing about what is going on. All they see is what is being told on social media to his followers and congregation. His social media accounts are active as though he is still alive and coming back,” the report quoted a source close to the family as saying.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
