TWO female employees of a company that sold tombstones which has been liquidated say they live in fear of clients who are owed money.
Sundown Tombstones, which had several branches in Limpopo, closed its doors after it was liquidated a week ago, leaving employees in the lurch.
Fifteen other branches in areas such as Giyani, Tzaneen, Bochum and Polokwane have also reportedly closed down.
The two women who manned the Giyani branch said they were not informed by their employer about the pending liquidation nor were they paid their salaries.
They also said they were being harassed by clients who paid for tombstones but did not receive them. One of the women, who refused to be identified, said when they went to their workplace recently, the sheriff of the court demanded the shop keys.
"He took the keys, money, the fax machine, closed the office and went away," the woman said.
She said she feared harassment from customers.
She has worked for the company for eight years and has three children at university.
While Sowetan was interviewing one of the employees, a woman customer from Muyeshe, Tryphina Chauke, confronted her.
"When are you opening the office because we have a tombstone unveiling for my father Risimati John Chauke who died in 1994 coming up?"
Chauke showed Sowetan some receipts.
She had already paid R8000 for a tombstone that cost R12400 and was not aware that Sundown had been liquidated.
The employee explained the state of affairs to Chauke, claiming she too was as much in the dark as the clients.
"I do not come to town because of this. People want their money. Some paid on lay-by and do not know that the company is not there [sic] and they never told us there was impending liquidation and we should stop taking money from people."
Another person who is anxiously watching developments is school teacher Kate Nghonyama of Giyani Section E.
She said she had hoped to unveil her grandmother's tombstone next month.
Efforts to contact Sundown Tombstones managing director, Piet Engelbrecht, proved fruitless.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Grave state for staff - tombstone firm liquidated overnight
TWO female employees of a company that sold tombstones which has been liquidated say they live in fear of clients who are owed money.
Sundown Tombstones, which had several branches in Limpopo, closed its doors after it was liquidated a week ago, leaving employees in the lurch.
Fifteen other branches in areas such as Giyani, Tzaneen, Bochum and Polokwane have also reportedly closed down.
The two women who manned the Giyani branch said they were not informed by their employer about the pending liquidation nor were they paid their salaries.
They also said they were being harassed by clients who paid for tombstones but did not receive them. One of the women, who refused to be identified, said when they went to their workplace recently, the sheriff of the court demanded the shop keys.
"He took the keys, money, the fax machine, closed the office and went away," the woman said.
She said she feared harassment from customers.
She has worked for the company for eight years and has three children at university.
While Sowetan was interviewing one of the employees, a woman customer from Muyeshe, Tryphina Chauke, confronted her.
"When are you opening the office because we have a tombstone unveiling for my father Risimati John Chauke who died in 1994 coming up?"
Chauke showed Sowetan some receipts.
She had already paid R8000 for a tombstone that cost R12400 and was not aware that Sundown had been liquidated.
The employee explained the state of affairs to Chauke, claiming she too was as much in the dark as the clients.
"I do not come to town because of this. People want their money. Some paid on lay-by and do not know that the company is not there [sic] and they never told us there was impending liquidation and we should stop taking money from people."
Another person who is anxiously watching developments is school teacher Kate Nghonyama of Giyani Section E.
She said she had hoped to unveil her grandmother's tombstone next month.
Efforts to contact Sundown Tombstones managing director, Piet Engelbrecht, proved fruitless.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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