Johannesburg, Jul 20 (PTI) Concerned about the rising costs of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for funerals, South Africa's Hindu priests have called on the government to provide assistance.

During a webinar organised by SA Hindus, Pandita Lucy Sigaban, Executive Director of the organisation, requested Murdock Ramathuba, National Director of Environmental Health at the National Department of Health, to take the request to the government.

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Amid claims that some Hindu priests are refusing to conduct funeral ceremonies for fear of contracting the coronavirus, Sigaban said they were torn between safety and duty.

Sigaban said an important factor was that a large percentage of Hindu priests are above the age of 60, rendering them very vulnerable to the virus.

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President of the National Funeral Directors Association of South Africa, Manesh Govender, seconded the concern raised by Sigaban around costs.

“PPE clothing is expensive and after a funeral, it needs to be disposed of,” said Govender, as he pledged that his company Rand Funerals would sponsor PPE clothing for priests.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)