Johannesburg, January 24

Cashing in on the fearful atmosphere prevailing in South Africa amidst a second wave and a new variant of the Covid-19 virus, some Hindu priests in the country are allegedly charging exorbitant rates for conducting funerals of Covid victims.

The priests are under fire for charging between 1,200 rand ($79) and 2,000 rand ($131) to conduct a funeral, according to Pradeep Ramlall, a member of the Hindu Dharma Association of South Africa and Manager of the Clare Estate Crematorium in Durban. “As per our scriptures, this is our seva (service) to the community. If a family wants to give a priest a donation, then that is acceptable but priests should not be charging people,” he said. — PTI