Cape Town - On the eve of the late former president Nelson Mandela’s birthday, an undertaker who spent 10 days with his body before his state funeral and memorial service has given insight into this unforgettable moment.

Jacques Snyman served as a police officer for 12 years at the Murder and Robbery unit in the East Rand in Johannesburg, which later led him to the forefront of private investigating.

But after years of chasing criminals, Snyman retired his badge and began working with the dead as an undertaker.

Military personnel walking on the sides of the coffin of the Former President Nelson Mandela during the State Funeral held in Qunu,Eastern Cape. Picture: GCIS

Today, Snyman is one of the branch managers for AVBOB and is the only undertaker in the country who can perform aquamations.

He has presided over the funerals of many public figures, such as the aquamation of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the burials of Chester Williams and Edwin de Lille, the husband of Patricia de Lille, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure.

Snyman also personally flew with Madiba’s body in an SANDF plane in 2013.

He washed, dressed and embalmed Madiba’s body and was part of the the group of people who designed Madiba’s casket, which, today, forms part of funeral home’s manufacturing designs.

Snyman said he was present for every part of proceedings involving the former statesman’s body.

“I was privileged to fetch him from his home in Houghton, where he passed away, and from there, we moved him to a private mortuary in Pretoria, where I did the embalming,” he explained.

Mandela was laid to rest during an official state funeral, after lying in state at teh Union Buildings for 10 days.

The icon was buried in Qunu in the Eastern Cape on December 15,2013, after a memorial service was held on December 10 at FNB stadium in Johannesburg.

“I dressed him every day and took him to the Union buildings, and we were a team of about four people,” Snyman added. “And every night, we took him back to the mortuary, and that was for about seven days.

“The night before flying to Qunu, the ANC wanted to do a service as well, and they asked me to conduct the service as well before we left for Umtata, so I did the memorial service for them where a coffin was involved.”

“I was the one flying with him (body of Madiba) from Pretoria to Umtata, where he was taken to the farm. This took place in the military plane. At his home, we prepared everything, and on the last day, we prepared the grave and set up all machinery and carpets.

“The last day the service was on the farm, and he was taken to the cemetery on the farm, where it was very private.”

Snyman said the family treated the team like royalty.

“We built a relationship with the family, and we still have contact now.”

But Snyman has worn many hats in his career, which has shaped him into who he is today.

“I have been in the funeral industry since 2002, and in my current job since 2008,” he said.

“I was a policeman, and then I became a private investigator for a company. I was with the police for 12 years, working at murder and robbery. I decided one morning this is enough, and began part-time projects and was doing maintenance. One day while I was fixing a roof at a funeral parlour in Pretoria, the lady there came out and said, you were a policeman, can you help me dress the body of a female deceased person, and I said no problem.

“I got off the ladder, and I helped her to dress the woman, and that night I told my wife, Antoinette, listen, I am going to ask the lady for work (at the funeral home), and she thought I was crazy and the next day I asked her, and she appointed me.”

Snyman also shared how they had designed Madiba’s the casket and how that design is now a firm favourite of families.

“We designed Madiba’s coffin on the request of what the family wanted, and we named it the Madiba coffin. A year or so after his passing, we only began to manufacture it as part of our range,” he explained.

“The people love the coffin.”

Weekend Argus