South African Pastor Buried Two Years After Death as Family Awaited Resurrection
The funeral of a South African pastor, Siva Moodley, who died on August 14, 2021, took place on March 16, 2023, almost two years later, as his family awaited his resurrection. According to reports, Moodley’s immediate family did not give any instruction for his burial or cremation as they believed he would be resurrected.
Court Order Intervention
The funeral home stored his body in a coffin at a refrigerated mortuary in Johannesburg for almost 600 days until Martin’s Funerals Fourways and Roodepoort obtained a court order for his burial. The funeral home said the City of Johannesburg representatives visited the mortuary in December 2022 and indicated that future notices could be issued as they considered Moodley’s remains a health risk.
Martin’s Funerals Fourways and Roodepoort said they made 28 attempts to contact Moodley’s wife and children to obtain instructions. This included emails, more than 40 WhatsApp messages, and attorney’s letters. In February, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg granted an order authorizing the sheriff of the court to sign all necessary documents for Moodley’s cremation. The order was suspended for a month so that it could be served to Moodley’s immediate family.
Burial Ceremony
Between 40 and 50 people attended the funeral service and burial, which was conducted by a pastor. Moodley was buried in a dignified manner in the presence of siblings and extended family. However, according to News24, his wife and two adult children were not in attendance.
According to court documents seen by News24, Moodley’s wife allegedly told the undertaker she had a vision that he could be resurrected. The family’s alleged notion that Moodley could be resurrected appeared to align with their religious beliefs. Moodley’s website claims that it is normal to see radical healings like blind eyes and deaf ears opening, legs growing, and cancers/tumours disappearing in his ministry. The website further claims that in 2003, Caid Bailey became the first person raised from the dead at Moodley’s meetings.
The funeral home said it did not want to infringe on people’s religious beliefs, but they also had to follow the law in terms of health regulations.