Delays in insurance payout force family to bury loved one without dignity
Family faces heartbreak as they struggle to bury Cecil Visagie due to insurance payout delays.
Image: Supplied
A family from Elsies River has been left shattered after they could not afford to give their loved one, who passed away in January, a dignified funeral as they are still waiting for the payout on the funeral cover.
The family of Cecil Visagie, who died on January 17, 2026, said they were only able to bury him last Friday, but still have no policy payout from Emerald Life.
His sister Lavona van der Horst said her brother had a funeral cover at Emerald Life for R30 000, which he paid with his pension.
She explained: “At the time of my brother’s passing, he lived in Delft with friends.
“A woman who was my brother’s friend arrived at my house to tell me the news of his passing.
“She then told me about his R30 000 policy at Emerald Life, because I did not know.
“It did not sit well with me because I am his sister and family, and I want to bury him.
“We struggled to get the payout until my brother’s friends borrowed R9 000 so that we were able to bury him.
“On Friday morning, we had a quick funeral, and I agreed just so that he could be buried because it had been more than a month since my brother passed.
“It was like a dog being thrown away. We could not give him a proper funeral.
“I have been up and down to Emerald, but there has been no clarity or direct communication on why the payout is taking so long.”
Manager in the Complaints Department at Emerald Life, Jill Abrahams, responded by saying that they are still busy with their verification process.
She told the Daily Voice: “The settlement will be processed once the claimant submits a signed settlement letter. We will maintain direct communication with the claimant to facilitate this process.
“In order to comply with legal and privacy obligations and to ensure client confidentiality, we regret to inform you that we are unable to disclose any additional information at this time.”