Durban - Almost 600 days after his death, a former Durban pastor was finally laid to rest this week.
The funeral of Siva Moodley, who believed that people could be raised from the dead, took place on Thursday, without his wife and children, at the Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg, 579 days after his passing.
He had fallen sick and died on August 15, 2021 and his body had remained at the Martin’s Funeral Home until the owners obtained a court order from the High Court in Johannesburg to have him buried.
Debbie Lubbe of Martin’s Funeral Home confirmed obtaining the court order. Moodley, 53, was the founder of The Miracle Centre in the north of Johannesburg. According to the church’s website, The Miracle Centre is a division of Siva Moodley Ministries.
“At The Miracle Centre, miracles really are normal! Cancers healed, blind eyes and deaf ears opened, legs grown and gold dust are just some of the regular miracles,” it reads.
Some of his family members were apparently convinced that he would rise from the dead, and would visit the funeral home and pray for his resurrection. Reverend Cyril Pillay, who conducted Moodley’s funeral, said he had been contacted by Moodley’s siblings.
“The court had ordered that the funeral take place on Thursday at 10am at Westpark Cemetery. The siblings asked me to assist.
Siva’s wife and children, who were not present at the funeral, had also not been in contact with the rest of the family. Siva’s siblings tried to make contact with them but they didn’t accept any calls. They were informed of the funeral via a third party.
The funeral was attended by just Siva’s siblings, nieces and nephews and some well-wishers who heard about the funeral. “It was a heart-wrenching, emotional moment for his siblings and nieces and nephews.
For a man of his stature who came from Chatsworth and took his ministry to a global platform, he didn’t deserve to be abandoned like that. “No matter how spiritual or educated any human being could be, there must always be the common sense that rules people’s lives, hearts and thoughts.
I appeal to people – don’t be so heavenly-minded that you are not of any earthly good,” said Pillay. Pillay said Moodley had a big following, and had he been buried soon after his passing he would have had a huge crowd at his funeral. “It was inhumane that he was kept in a mortuary for so long.
We can’t be so spiritually-minded. His family had abandoned him,” said Pillay. Martin du Toit, manager of Martin’s Funeral Home, told the Sunday Tribune previously that they had not received any payment for storing Moodley’s remains. Attempts to reach Moodley’s family were unsuccessful.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE