This South African man is definitely not resting in peace.
Outraged family members say they were forced to drag in the corpse of their uncle, Sifiso Justice Mhlongo, after an insurance company demanded proof he was dead. The grieving family members filmed the ghastly scene, and the footage has gone viral.
The insurance company, Old Mutual, allegedly refused to pay out on Mhlongo’s death benefits, saying there were problems with the paperwork, the Daily Mail reports.
But the nine-day delay meant that the family had to put off important tribal rites for Mhlongo, and that they were out nearly $2,200 in death benefits.
Fed up, the relatives resorted to bringing in the cold, dead proof. In the video, they’re seen carrying a body bag into the company’s office in KwaZulu-Natal province.
The video made its way to Twitter, where users around the country lamented the family’s desperate measure and called out Old Mutual’s alleged actions. An activist’s original tweet of the video has garnered thousands of retweets, with outraged replies.
“I am traumatised by this. Must have taken a lot for this family to do this with their dead,” wrote @HBMZulu.
Old Mutual responded with a tweet of their own, saying the incident was “isolated but regrettable.”
“This has been most unsettling and we are sympathetic toward the family during this difficult time,” the company tweeted. “We can confirm that the claim was paid. Due to the sensitive nature of this matter, we will continue engaging directly with the family.”