1. SOUTH AFRICAN BURIAL RITUALS AND THE POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION OF
VIRAL HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER - A RISK REDUCTION STRATEGY
By:
Angus Martin Stembull
Student Number: 2013 177 536
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
Masters in Disaster Management
in the
Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa
at the
UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE
Study Leader: Professor R.R. Bragg
July 2016

2. ABSTRACT
Customary burials, where direct contact with infected decedents are permitted, were termed
super-spreader events during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West and Central Africa.
Participation in rituals associated with traditional burials accounted for up to 80% of the
reported infections in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
South Africa’s Department of Health, cognisant of the risk of disease importation, issued
directives for the safe disposal of infected remains. These directives made little to no
provision for constitutionally protected rights which include the freedom to practice one’s
chosen religion without fear or censure; provisions which include how we treat our dying and
dispose of our dead. Burial rituals common to dominant South African belief systems include
family or faith-led preparation and disposal of the deceased. The primary objective of this
research serves to bridge the gap between directives issued to ensure public safety, traditional
burial rituals, and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
The foundation of this study was laid by medical professionals who believed that burial rituals
informed by religious belief could be incorporated into directives for safe disposal without
compromising public safety.
Information gathered from religion leaders and funeral directors included the importance
assigned to burial rituals informed by belief, and the willingness of congregants to compromise
their beliefs in extra-ordinary circumstances. If compromise was an option, it was then
necessary to determine to what degree. Responses varied throughout the spectrum of belief
systems, with conservative or orthodox denominations being among the most reluctant to
adapt customary practices. Race and socio-economic status were contributing factors, e.g.
vulnerable black and coloured communities largely against any departure from customs based
on their religious beliefs.
The study concludes with a risk reduction proposal that seeks to negate the risk of exposure
while making provision for burial rituals informed by religious or cultural beliefs.