A KwaZulu-Natal family made headlines after carrying a deceased relative into a Capitec Bank in Stanger, reigniting concerns over how South African banks handle funeral insurance claims.
A grieving family in Stanger, KwaZulu-Natal, took an extraordinary and shocking step on Wednesday when they transported the body of their deceased loved one directly into a local Capitec Bank branch — a desperate act of protest after the bank reportedly refused to process an insurance claim without proof of death.
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What Happened at the Capitec Bank in Stanger?
According to reports, the family was instructed by Capitec Bank staff to provide documentation confirming that their relative had died before any claim could be processed. Rather than obtaining an official death certificate through the Department of Home Affairs, the family went to the mortuary, collected the body, and brought it into the Stanger Capitec branch in person.
The incident forced the branch to close its doors early, drawing shock from staff and members of the public who witnessed the scene.
A Pattern of Desperate Protests at Stanger Banks
This is not an isolated incident. The Stanger area has seen multiple occurrences of grieving families resorting to extreme measures when funeral insurance payouts are delayed or disputed.
In a similar incident last year, a family transported a body in a coffin into the Capitec Bank branch at KwaDukuza Mall to protest an alleged delay in a funeral policy payout. The family claimed they had submitted their claim and were initially told the funds would be released within 48 hours. They were later informed the payment would only be made nearly a month later, on August 22. Feeling cornered by bureaucracy at one of the most painful moments in their lives, the family chose to make their grief visible.
The incident drew both sympathy and alarm from shoppers and bank employees alike.
2019: The Old Mutual Protest That Started It All
The trend traces back to a viral 2019 video featuring Ntombenhle Mhlongo and Thandaza Mtshali, who were filmed carrying the body of 46-year-old Sifiso Mhlongo — in a body bag — into an Old Mutual office in Stanger. The footage spread rapidly across social media, sparking national outrage and debate about how insurance companies treat bereaved families.
The protest worked. Old Mutual paid out the full R30,000 owed to the family shortly after the incident, and Sifiso Mhlongo was subsequently buried.
Broader Questions About Funeral Insurance in South Africa
These incidents raise serious questions about the accessibility and responsiveness of funeral insurance systems in South Africa, particularly for working-class and rural families who often rely on these policies to cover the immediate costs of burial. Delays of days or weeks can leave families unable to bury their loved ones with dignity — and, as these cases show, can push people to extraordinary lengths.
Capitec Bank had not issued a formal public statement at the time of publication.
