A Mother's Year of Grief: Cape Town Woman Still Waiting for Her Son's Ashes
For nearly a year, Marina Fortune has been unable to mourn her son properly. She paid R8,000 to Hartnick's Funeral Home for his cremation and funeral arrangements, yet she still does not have his ashes. Richard Jones, 37, died on August 31, 2025, and his mother says she has been left in a painful limbo, forced to chase answers from a funeral home that never calls her back.
This is not just a story about a service delayed. It is a story about dignity denied, about a Black mother in Cape Town who cannot close the chapter on her son's life because the system meant to honour him has failed her. For Rainbow Report, this is a familiar pattern: when institutions fail our communities, the burden falls on the grieving, the vulnerable, and the already marginalised.
What happened after Richard Jones died?
Fortune told the Cape Argus that she dealt with a woman named Linda at Hartnick's Funeral Home when making arrangements. On the day she organised the funeral, she was told she had to pay R500 upfront to secure the crematorium before anything else could proceed. She later paid an additional R7,500, totalling R8,000.
About a month after Richard's death, Fortune began to worry. The ashes had not been handed over. When she called to ask when she could collect them, she was told to wait. What followed were months of her having to initiate every single contact.
“She never contacted me. I had to ask every time when I was going to get the ashes,” Fortune said.
Why has the family been waiting so long?
During one follow-up, Fortune was told the paperwork had been completed incorrectly. Linda promised to fix it that same day. Fortune heard nothing further. On May 13, she raised the matter again, but months later, the family still had no ashes.
For Fortune, the issue has long stopped being about the money. It is about respect for her son and the chance to say goodbye in the way he wanted.
“It's not even about the money anymore. It's about my son resting, me having peace that he was buried in a dignified way. That's what it is,” she said. “I can't even close this chapter in my life. I couldn't say goodbye to him and scatter his ashes like he wanted.”
What has the funeral home said?
The Cape Argus approached Linda from Hartnick's Funeral Home for comment. They asked whether Richard had been cremated, where his remains were stored, and if not yet cremated, when it would happen. They also asked about a conversation Fortune had regarding a preservation procedure, and what safeguards were in place to ensure ashes are correctly linked to the deceased.
Linda initially asked the story be held until Friday, September 4, saying the family would receive the ashes by then. The Cape Argus asked for this commitment to be placed on record. Further attempts to reach Linda on Thursday were unsuccessful. A man identified as her brother answered the phone, but no answers were provided by the time of publication.
When will Marina Fortune receive her son's ashes?
The undertaking that the family would receive the ashes by next Friday will now be closely watched. Fortune said that after months of unanswered questions, she wants nothing more than the opportunity to finally lay her son to rest in the way he had wanted.
This is a demand for accountability. Our communities have long been subjected to poor treatment by institutions that see us as clients, not as people in pain. Marina Fortune deserves answers. Richard Jones deserves to rest. And Hartnick's Funeral Home must explain why a mother has had to wait nearly a year for closure.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Marina Fortune pay for the funeral arrangements?
Fortune paid R500 upfront for the crematorium and an additional R7,500, totalling R8,000 to Hartnick's Funeral Home.
What did the funeral home say about the delay?
Linda from Hartnick's initially told the Cape Argus that the family would receive the ashes by September 4, 2026, but did not provide an explanation for the delay on record.
Why is this issue important to the Black community in South Africa?
This case highlights how grieving families, often Black and working-class, are left without recourse when funeral homes fail to deliver basic services, compounding the trauma of loss with institutional neglect.