Bulawayo Council abandons its coffin selling business

The Bulawayo City Council has abandoned its coffin selling business, as it is not bringing in any profits, with no coffin sold in as many months.

According to a confidential council report gleaned by Radio Dialogue, the local authority conceded that the coffin production unit had to be stopped to re-examine its viability.

"Production at this unit has since been temporarily stopped owing to the need to re-examine the viability of this entity since it is failing to make meaningful sales with the absence of a parlour," reads part of the report.

The general manager of the unit said it was challenging to run a coffin manufacturing company without a funeral parlour.

"There is also stiff completion, while there were flexible in prices. There was also the issue of labour methods that were used. The coffin unit did not blend well with the type of business they were into," reads the report.

The city council also noted that some funeral parlours were refusing to take their coffins.

The report further states that only employee in that unit, a carpenter has since been assigned to do maintenance work in other entities.

No coffin was sold during the quarter ending September 2013 while the stock of coffins at hand as at 30th September 2013 was 16 coffins.