THE funeral service of the president of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Holy Spirit Church in Zion Inyoni Emhlophe turned into chaos and drama.
And Dr Thamsanqa Nkonyane's family from Osizweni, Newcastle, is demanding answers.
This after they allegedly found building blocks inside the coffin they believed contained their brother's body.
They didn't know where their brother was and have made accusations against his girlfriend and Icebolethu Group.
However, the funeral parlour dismissed allegations there were building blocks in the coffin.
Icebolethu Group public relations officer, Sinawo Samandla said as a company entrusted with serving bereaved families, they take any matter involving their funeral operations seriously and are committed to conducting themselves with "professionalism, integrity and respect for the law" at all times.
"We wish to state that, Icebolethu carried this burial like any other dignified burial we handle. We adhered to all our processes and procedures according to our service standards and the industry's legal framework.
"We'd like to state the following, the body is not missing, the family buried the body as per their preference," he said.
Samandla said there were no bricks in the casket and that those claims are untrue.
"We request the public to refrain from spreading false claims, they're tarnishing the legacy of the late church leader, the family and the church."
He said Icebolethu Group acknowledges and respects the family's beliefs, customs and cultural practices.
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"As per procedure and family's request, Icebolethu delivered the remains on Friday, 5 June, to the family home. On Saturday, 6 June, Icebolethu carried on with the normal funeral proceedings," he said.
Samandla said during the funeral service, Icebulethu was served with a court order and complied.
"Throughout the process, Icebolethu's priority was to remain compliant with legal directives, preservation of the dignity of the deceased and the safety and wellbeing of all affected parties," he said.
Samandla said as the matter is subject to further investigation and legal processes, it would be inappropriate for the company to comment on specific allegations or details currently circulating on various platforms.
"We wish to assure our clients, stakeholders, and the broader public that Icebolethu remains committed to transparency, accountability and adherence to all applicable laws, regulations and industry standards. We also request that the families be given space and support to resolve their differences," he said.
However, Nkonyane's sister, Sibongile insisted there were building blocks inside the coffin.
"We're currently in the process of exhuming my brother as we have discovered he was buried in the mission house," she said.
She said she can't comment further as their lawyer is working on the matter.
