Help
IMPORTANT STEPS - banner
1
 Contact the relevant authorities. These could be emergency medical professionals with an ambulance service such as Netcare 911 or ER24, your family doctor or the SAPS.
2
 Locate the deceased’s ID smartcard or green barcoded ID book.
3
 Share the news with closest family and friends as soon as you feel you have the strength to do so.
4
 Contact your religious, cultural or community leaders and elders.
5
 Choose a reliable and reputable funeral parlour that will help you to arrange the funeral.
6
 Find out if the deceased had any funeral or life policies and contact the insurers or banks. If you or a family member(s) are nominated beneficiaries on the deceased’s policy, then you will need to contact the cover provider as soon as you can. They will also need the Death Certificate, so it is essential that you arrange this document, as well as the others, as soon as possible. Visit this website to find out more http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/civic-services/death-certificates
7
 If you have a funeral policy with a funeral parlour, you don’t necessarily need to conduct the funeral with that funeral parlour. They can pay out the insured amount, and you can have the funeral with another funeral parlour. Please also note that the payout times differ from policy to policy, and that the funds cannot be relied upon to be paid out instantly – it may take days, weeks or even months to pay out.
8
 Contact the deceased’s employers to see if they had any life cover through their employer.
9
 Contact the deceased’s bank. The bank will freeze the deceased’s bank account to prevent anyone from fraudulently trying to withdraw funds from the bank account.
10
 Find out if the deceased had a Will in place. If there is no executor nominated in the Will, then you can seek legal advice on the way forward. If the Will was kept at the deceased’s bank, then the bank will usually help.
11
 If you would like all those who know the deceased to attend the funeral service, then you can place an advertisement in the newspaper, advising of the date, time and venue of the funeral.