“The Pastors Are in Disbelief”: Friends Turn Their Chomy’s Funeral Into a Groove, SA Divided

• A group of friends were filmed dancing and grooving around their late friend Tumaras during his final send-off, stunning many viewers
• The clip shared on TikTok showed the group celebrating next to the casket while music blasted, and onlookers watched in disbelief
• Social media users expressed mixed feelings about the unconventional celebration of life that took place during the service, and flooded the comment section with reactions
• Briefly News spoke with deacon and elder Ditsego Modupe regarding the viral video of a funeral being turned into a celebratory groove and the impact this has on the sanctity of the church

Funeral proceedings took an unexpected turn when a group of friends decided to honour their late peer with a loud and energetic celebration, the way he lived.

The video shared by @user10271622446597 on TikTok garnered massive views and sparked a heated debate regarding funeral etiquette.

The clip begins with the friends standing next to the casket while the hit song Magumba blasts through the speakers. They immediately begin dancing around the coffin with high energy as if they are in a club or tavern. One woman is seen drinking from a beer bottle while moving through the space, leaving the family and community members with shocked expressions. Another friend places a carton of sorghum beer directly on top of the casket while others paced up and down.

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Church leaders are astonished by the funeral dance

Church pastors and congregants stood quietly as they witnessed the friends grooving in the small space. While the religious leaders appeared stunned, the friends continued their tribute without hesitation. As the song was coming to an end, the DJ played another one, but the pastor quickly stopped it. The creator, TikTok user @10271622446597, captioned the post, wishing Tumaras eternal peace.

A mourning and a celebration

The Briefly News team sat down with elder Ditsego Modupe to discuss the controversial trend of grooving at gravesides and how it challenges the traditional values of the South African church and community.

We asked what could have shocked the pastors about t the friends’ behaviour at the funeral. He said:

“It is a matter of respect for the departed. A funeral is a holy transition; it is a time for the family to grieve and for the community to pray. When people start dancing and playing loud music as if they are at a tavern, it strips away the dignity of the person being buried and leaves the church in a state of deep sorrow.”

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When asked what advice or warning he would give to the youth who feel that funerals should be less depressing and more like a party. The deacon said:

“I would tell them that death is a serious matter. Life is a gift, and when it ends, we must show that we value what was lost. If you turn every funeral into a party, you lose the chance to reflect on your own life and spirit. We must return to the spirit of Ubuntu - where we stand in silence and prayer to support those who are crying.”

SA debates about the funeral

The clip garnered 728K views, 14.7K likes, and over 2.3K comments from social media users who shared divided views about the unconventional send-off. Many viewers felt happy that Tumaras was honoured for what he loved and thanked the family for allowing his friends to represent his spirit. Some noted that even if they wanted similar vibes at their funerals, their families would never permit such a display. Others expressed disappointment, stating there is a time and place for everything and calling the behaviour an embarrassment to the family and the church.

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User @Kelebogile Mokgou said:

"Tumaras was a happy soul 😂."

User @userlingomso added:

"This is just wrong."

User @Lady HMaiB&D commented:

"Guys, there's nothing wrong here, that's the kind of life he was living mos 😒."

User @Mikie said:

"The pastors are in disbelief 😂."

User @Zanele Mkhwanazi asked:

"Even if that's the kind of life he was living, why didn't they wait till they came back from the graveyard ke?"

User @masasa commented:

"This is a disgrace at all levels. I know the r some ppl when they pass away they want to be buried in a certain way. Mara, I normally see the service is respected, then at the graveyard that's what they do their mofirifiri💔🤬. This is a disgrace."

Watch the TikTok video here.

3 Briefly News funeral-related articles

• An emotional tribute from a local farm owner touched the hearts of thousands after she shared a moving farewell to her late employee, Abel and promised to take care of his family.
• A sister shared a heartbreaking video appealing for donations to repatriate the body of her younger brother, Eric Filmalter, who died tragically in the USA.
• The widow of police officer Marius ‘Vlam' van der Merwe, also known as Witness D, shared a moving post expressing how she was finding it difficult to cope after he was tragically shot and killed in front of her by unidentified men.

Source: Briefly News