The Ehlanzeni District Municipality’s (EDM) executive mayor, Cllr Terra Shabangu, has invited the newly elected provincial executive committee (PEC) of the South African Funeral Practitioners Association (Safpa) to freely engage with his office whenever the need arises.

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Shabangu was speaking during a gala dinner hosted by Safpa at Mbombela Stadium on November 18, in celebration of the incoming PEC. There were Safpa representatives from KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Gauteng, the Free State, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and eSwatini.

“To the newly elected provincial leadership of Safpa, we have an open-door policy at the EDM and you can come and talk and discuss issues,” said Shabangu.

During the Covid-19 period, many people and the government learnt certain lessons from the funeral association.

“You followed the regulations that were imposed under the leadership of the honourable President Cyril Ramaphosa. This was despite your employees being exposed to very difficult challenges,” Shabangu told Safpa.

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Safpa’s national president, Libo Mnisi, said the association was the biggest in South Africa and in Africa.

“This has been confirmed and is accurate. We boast quality membership of black-owned businesses in South Africa, and we have strategic relations with our neighbouring countries as well as the United States of America,” said Mnisi.

He handed a token of appreciation to the Safpa team from eSwatini.

Safpa’s Mpumalanga secretary, Vuyelwa Mapetla, said she enjoyed both the music and the traditional dance.