Burial in Africa

Steve Snedeker said:

Agreed, to quote Hunter S. Thompson:

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!

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I totally agree.
I also like, "Live life so that when Death finally catches up with you, he's tired and looks worse than you do!"

375 Ruger Fan said:

What if you op for just dip and pack?

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Not a lot of real information in the replies so far, but yours made me laugh out loud. You get the Daily Internet Trophy for your comment.

Tough question. My first thought is about relatives who ultimately will have to deal with such

I dunno.......

Strange times. It seems to me a number of members are at an age where it behooves us to think about and make our burial arrangements.
My SO and I have been discussing burial arrangements this week. We even talked to the Cemetary Association in our hometown to get availability of plots information. Funny the head of the Association is the son of one of our HS classmates. Since we plan on cremation it's
possible for us both to be in the same plot. That
possibility raises a lot of questions. I am concerned about both of us being able to rest in peace while in such close proximity for eternity.
;-) And that's just one of several concerns. Anyway, i found it interesting there's this thread while we were actively seeking burial information.

Each Country has its own documentary requirements…. For instance, Tanzania differs from South Africa…. here is what I found out about death of a safari participant in South Africa:
Documents normally required

1. South African death certificate
   • Issued by the South African authorities.
   • It should identify the deceased, date and place of death, and cause of death.
   • The U.S. State Department says the local death certificate should be properly authenticated as required by South African law.

1. Deceased’s U.S. passport

1. Consular Mortuary Certificate

1. Transit/export permit

1. Embalming certificate

1. Funeral director’s affidavit

1. Medical/infectious-disease certification

1. Identification and authorization from the next of kin

1. Coffin/container certification

One particularly important document


The Consular Mortuary Certificate is different from the Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA).


The CRODA is primarily an official U.S. record of the death and is useful for estate, insurance and other U.S. purposes. It is not the document that substitutes for the mortuary certificate when physically transporting the body. The State Department specifically identifies the consular mortuary certificate as one of the four principal documents for transporting remains to the United States.


I would have the family do this first


If this is for an actual death or you’re preparing in advance, the first call should be to the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria or the appropriate U.S. Consulate in South Africa, rather than trying to assemble the documents independently. The State Department says consular officers can coordinate with South African authorities and the funeral home and ensure that the required documents accompany the remains.


A South African funeral home experienced in international repatriation to the United States should also be retained. They normally handle much of the South African permitting, embalming, airline arrangements and coordination with the U.S. receiving funeral home.


Note that if the deceased family desires cremation, the steps are simpler as the Medical Infectious Disease Certificate as well as the embalming certificate are eliminated.

i had a uncle who died at birth in 1909 and was buried in the back yard, when my grandparents moved they had him dug up and moved with them and reintured in a small cemitery near them.