he body of South African Pastor, Siva Moodley is still lying in a mortuary in Johannesburg for over a year now, as his family and members of his congregation continue to wait for his resurrection
A year has passed and Pastor Siva Moodley's body remains at a funeral parlour in Fourways, Gauteng
Moodley, 53, the founder of The Miracle Centre in the north of Johannesburg, died on August 15, 2021, after falling ill His body has been kept at Martin’s Funeral Home since then
On Monday, Martin du Toit, the manager at the funeral home, confirmed that Moodley's body was still at his mortuary
"After Pastor Moodley's death, his family and members of the church used to visit the funeral home to pray for his resurrection. The last visit was in September last year Nobody has come to view the body since then. There is no news about his funeral," said Du Toit
He said he had lodged an application with the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court to grant him permission to have Moodley buried or cremated However, the matter has not been set down as yet for a hearing
"It is a civil matter I cannot make the decision to bury or cremate him on my own It has to come from his family but they are not saying anything He was a well-known man and does not deserve this kind of treatment I hope the court can provide some relief
Since the death, services at the church have been going on as normal and are conducted by his wife, Jessie, son, David, and daughter Kathryn Jade The services are also live streamed on social media
The church has allegedly not openly acknowledged his death on social media or informed the congregation of his whereabouts His social media accounts, notably Facebook and Twitter, are operational and messages are posted every day as if they are from him
Moodley has an international following and had a television programme called Your Miracle Moment The programme was broadcasted on DStv through FaithTV and TBN Africa
Since April this year re-runs of the programme have been broadcast on Miracle TV+, a streaming service New episodes of the programme only feature Jessie and David
According to his website, Moodley is described as an apostle, author, international speaker, and radio and TV personality
It is also claimed that Moodley made those who were blind see and restored hearing to some who were hearing impaired There are also claims that he healed people who were ill
Pastor Prem Terry Jugdeo, who followed Pastor Moodley's ministry, said the family needed to be transparent
"His family and church members have not respected the death of a great person but believed in the resurrection of this servant of God. His wife and children continue as normal They need to be honest and not hide away from the facts
Congregation members, who declined to be named, also wanted answers
"Pastor Moodley was a righteous person He helped so many people but his legacy is being tarnished Whenever we ask where he is, we never get an answer Initially, we were told he is coming back soon but a year has gone by and nothing We read the media reports of his death and we want his family to do the right thing and give him a proper send-off
Another member said: "I am still a member of the church because of Pastor Moodley's teachings But I do not know how long I can remain a member I feel conflicted because of all that has happened His soul needs to find rest and peace There is no dignity for him He was a wonderful person and does not deserve this
Reggie Moloi, the manager of cemeteries and crematoria for Johannesburg, said they could not force the family to perform a burial or cremation
"We can only provide the service This is a family matter We can only get involved if the body poses a health risk to the community In that instance, we have to seek permission from the court to have the body buried or cremated
Despite several calls, emails and messages on social media for comment, Moodley's family has not responded
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