Terwyl Suid-Afrikaners hul deel doen deur in te val by streng afsonderingsriglyne in die hoop om die verspreiding van die Koronavirus te beperk, heers daar by talle dominees vrae oor wat mag en wat nie mag nie. 

“Ek kry op hierdie stadium redelik baie navrae rondom begrafnisse. Die kommunikasie via amptelike kanale is in baie opsigte nie duidelik nie,” het dr Gustav Claassen, die algemene sekretaris van die NG Kerk, die naweek in ’n brief aan predikante gesê. 

Dit kom na ’n vroeëre berig oor ’n ekumeniese bediningsproses met die regering wat aan die gang is om uit te klaar tot hoe ’n mate pastorale en siekesorg deur die sogenaamde “lockdown” geraak word. 

LEES OOK: Meer as 50 eredienste te sien by KiesKerk

Oor begrafnisse het Claassen gesê daar is wel riglyne in die staatskoerant gepubliseer wat godsdienswerkers moet lei met hierdie soort funksies. Claassen het ’n opsomming (in Engels) van daardie dokument gebied en Kerkbode publiseer dit volledig onderaan hierdie berig**. 

Ook oor die vraag of predikante kwalifiseer as persone wat “noodsaaklike dienste” lewer, is daar by sommige vrae. Predikante se dienste in gevalle van nood word wel in die staatskoerantbepaling genoem, volgens Claassen. “’n Brief op ’n briefhoof sou deur julle kerkraad as werkgewer aan julle verskaf kon word. Die inligting wat op so ’n brief moet kom, word in Aanhangsel C hanteer.” 

Moderator met sabbatsverlof

Ds Nelis Janse van Rensburg, die moderator van die Algmene Sinode, is tans met sabbatsverlof maar die dagbestuur van die Algemene Sinode het in ’n pastorale brief op die vooraand van die 21 dae van afsondering gesê hulle boodskap dra ook sy steun. In daardie brief het Claassen oor die gesondheidskrisis wat tans meeste dele van die wêreld raak, geskryf: “Die ondenkbare het gebeur. Die wêreld is tot stilstand geroep.” Claassen meen hierdie gebeure herinner aan Walter Brueggemann se boek Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now. “Is COVID-19 dalk ’n geleentheid om die betekenis van die vierde gebod te herontdek? Is dit nie so dat die tempo van die 21ste eeu ’n eindelose ratwerk van produksie, ’n weg van eindelose begeerte, eindelose druk op prestasie en eindelose rusteloosheid sonder enige sabbat is of was nie? Brueggemann wys daarop dat dít feitlik die presiese leefstyl van die farao se regime in Egipte was. Die sabbat, aan die ander kant, bied ’n alternatief – die erkenning dat die welstand van die skepping en van die mens nie van eindelose werk afhang nie. Die alternatief is ’n ekonomie van medemenslikheid en buurmanskap as natuurlike uitvloeisel van ware aanbidding. Daarom is die sabbat nie net rus wat verkwik nie. Dit is rus wat transformeer. Gaan die ná-Covid-leefstyl anders lyk as die lewe voor die pandemie?” 

** FUNERAL REGULATIONS DURING THE INITIAL 21 DAY LOCK DOWN PERIOD

These have been summarized from the Regulations and Gazette Notices issued on the 25th of March 2020. Lockdown effective from 23h59 on Thursday 26th March 2020.

1. During the lock down period we are all confined to our places of residence unless:
2. strictly for the purpose of performing an essential service (these are listed in Annexure D of the regulations and include funeral services),
3. obtaining an essential good or service (e.g. food and cleaning goods and some documents),
4. obtaining a social grant,
5. or seeking emergency, life- saving or chronic medical attention.
6. All churches must be shut with immediate effect and may not be used for any gathering. Services will now have to be recorded and live streamed from home chapels or studies.
7. The only persons allowed on church premises are :
8. people needed for maintenance or security
9. those whose home or place of residence is there (caretakers, or rectors and their families)
10. Regulations for funerals:
11. No funerals can be held in a home, church, hall or school but only at a mortuary or funeral home.
12. Please be aware that further conditions may apply as relevant to the applicable municipality and all guidelines and directives of funeral homes and enforcement officers must be complied with. These may include limits of time for the funeral service so please confirm this beforehand.
13. No night vigils are allowed, and all safety measures must be strictly adhered to.
14. Attendance at funerals are limited to 50 people. This number includes service ministers and children.
15. The consensus view is that in order to meet this condition, an invitation will have to be issued for the funeral and a list of attendees compiled.
16. Entrance and movement may only be allowed on presenting the invitation when stopped on the road as well as being given admission to the funeral home. Further guidance may be provided by the funeral home.
17. Persons availing themselves of this essential service must also be aware that they may be subjected to COVID-19 screening by an enforcement officer. (if feeling ill or having flu-like symptoms best to stay home as possible you may be placed in quarantine.)
18. Also, if cause of death is COVID-19 related, there are special requirements for these funerals and again you will be provided these by the funeral home.
19. Transport used to and from the funeral service must carry no more than 50% of its capacity (so for e.g. a 20-seater kombi may only carry a maximum of 10 persons, social distancing and hand and coughing hygiene as detailed below must be maintained.)
20. ALL attendees at the funeral service will have to maintain strict hand hygiene. (Washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or if not possible, cleaning of hands with sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content. Also, hygiene coughing is encouraged, (cough into v of one elbow and use other hands elbow to greet if that method of greeting preferred!) You may also cough into a tissue but these must be disposed of as set out below.
21. Social distancing and the maintenance of recommended hygiene practices is encouraged. Municipalities are directed to monitor this.
22. Social distancing is recommended as a distance of at least one meter apart.
23. Hugging or holding of hands not encouraged (please ask for guidance from funeral home as this extremely difficult for the bereaved).
24. Hand hygiene also to be used when leaving the funeral home.
25. This may have to be repeated at the cemetery or crematoria, again please follow requirements of the funeral home.
26. All tissues etc. used during the funeral service at the home and cemetery or crematoria must please be placed in a special container (medical disposal bin or properly sealed shopping plastic {yes I know} bag) and then disposed of as medical waste and must please not be placed in normal waste disposal bins. Local GP’s and funeral home should be able to assist in this regard.
27. Ministers who are to perform a funeral service would need a special permit issued by the Diocesan Bishop or VG on the attached form. Annexure C Form 1.
28. Please also be aware that any person that does not observe the restriction on the movement of persons during the lockdown, including the regulations for funerals, or opens a place of worship is guilty of an offence and on conviction, is liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.