WATCH | Prayer and tears as Checkers staff mourn colleagues who died of coronavirus

Video footage of Checkers staff at the Bayside Mall, Cape Town, mourning their two colleagues who apparently died of coronavirus complications shows the range of emotions of those on the front line during the pandemic.

Decked in full protective gear, the staff hold candles while watching as one woman sits on the floor, praying in Xhosa.

“Our Father who art in Heaven, show yourself during these difficult times. We are not coping, Lord.”

The identities of the staff who died cannot be revealed as permission has not been given by their families.

The store was closed in the middle of April after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19. It reopened two days later but closed again after more staff tested positive. Centre management confirmed to TimesLIVE it was still shut on April 28 with no clear plans on when it would reopen.

The Shoprite Group confirmed at the time that those who had come into contact with the staff members were under self-quarantine.

Shoprite did not respond to requests by TimesLIVE for comment around the video, deaths nor numbers of staff infected with the coronavirus, only saying in an e-mail “the media team will respond to your query”.