Lockdown: Coffins in short supply

• Informal sector shutdown to blame
• ‘We provide an essential service’
• Coffin prices shoot up

By Daniel Kachere

An artificial shortage of coffins has hit Zimbabwe, particularly the capital city of Harare where carpenters who work in the informal sector have been unable to produce the boxes, due to strict lockdown regulations meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Harare is the most affected city by Covid-19, with 7 345 cases and 177 deaths recorded so far.
Community deaths, that may or may not be directly linked to Covid-19 are reportedly on the rise as well, causing demand for coffins to shoot up.
Naison Mugutso, a coffin maker who operates in Mbare, told Nhau that they are overwhelmed as scores of clients are approaching them daily but lockdown conditions have made it impossible for his small company to meet the demand.
“Stocks have run out and we are unable to make more,” said Mugutso, who operates from Koffman Shops, near Matapi flats.
“Most of us are unregistered. But big commercial funeral parlours get their coffins from us. For instance, I supply them coffins that cost US$100 but when they sell them at their parlours, they would cost around US$500.
“Parlours come to collect coffins from us and put huge markups for their clients. Now they have nowhere to get the coffins because we are unable to work. It is so painful.”
Mugutso said despite the issue of Covid-19 deaths, some charity organisations that assist with Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services pauper’s burials were also stranded.
“…they also come to us purchasing coffins but we are now unable to meet the demand as our manufacturing side has been affected by the lockdown.
“Government needs to allow us to operate as we also have a role to play during this Covid-19 outbreak.”
Another coffin maker, Lovemore Karimbika, said he has no choice but to go to his base each day due to high demand, risking arrest by law enforcers.
“We provide a very essential service but Government has looked the other way. Today (Sunday), I was forced to come after a family I know failed to secure a coffin for the past three days.
Government needs to hear us out. Most of our clients cannot afford to pay the huge amounts demanded by the big funeral parlours, hence our services are essential.”
Karimbika appealed to Government to understand “our plight and that of our clients”.
The shutting down of the informal sector has caused a myriad of problems for the general populace. It is estimated that over 80 percent of the Zimbabwean workforce is employed in the informal sector.
Nyaradzo Group chief executive officer Phillip Mataranyika said they had felt the pinch of Covid-19, which has not only affected Zimbabwe but the rest of the world.
“We are managing because we have got our own factory. It is just consistent with global trends. You know Covid is just killing a lot of people … It is not something peculiar to Zimbabwe only,” he said.
Most informal workers cannot afford premium funeral cover,
thus they rely on products from the informal sector.
A young woman who only identified herself as Sharon said: “We have always been selling coffins, servicing various clientele but we have been unable to do so since the lockdown started. There is a huge demand for coffins but we are unable to supply them as we have run out of complete ones.
“We are unable to manufacture more as our sector has been shut down by Government. We are appealing to authorities to hear our plight, understand us and allow us to operate, supplying these much-needed coffins whose demand has shot up.”
The informal sector remains frozen out by a complete shutdown, which has seen the Zimbabwe Republic Police banning the transportation of dead bodies from place to place.
Government said this was meant to control the spread of the coronavirus at funeral gatherings. This was announced by police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police advises the public that the Ministry of Health and Child Care has informed the police of immediate restrictions imposed on the movement of dead bodies for burial in the country.
“According to health officials, a body will now be buried in the town/city where the death would have taken place. This is being done in order to curtail the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
“No body viewing will be allowed and bodies will not be taken home. The public is implored to keep a distance as the body is lowered into the grave by either city health or funeral parlour officials. The grave site will be disinfected before burial,” he said in a statement.
Nyathi also stated that police will only clear body movements for burial straight from a funeral parlour or hospital mortuary to the burial site. Nhau/Indaba