The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
THE uptake of cremation services in Bulawayo still remain low as the city continues to try and identify alternative burial options since burial space continues to be a headache.
This comes amid revelations that the local authority is now relying on just two burial sites with the rest having been decommissioned as they had filled up. Responding to written questions, Bulawayo city senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said to date council was attending to an average of 10 cremations a month.
“There are about 10 bodies cremated per month. The city uses as wood fired cremator. Residents are urged to take up cremation as the figures remain relatively low. This will also assist in conserving the finite resource which is land,” said Mrs Mpofu.
With regards to the decommissioned burial sites, Mrs Mpofu revealed that the only burials taking place were of people who had reserved graves.
“The active cemeteries are currently Luveve Extension and Athlone West while Marvel Cemetery and Pumula South Cemetery are not yet functional. The other cemeteries are decommissioned with only a few burials taking place for reserved graves,” she said.
A couple of years ago it was reported that as the local authority tried to identify solutions to the burial space shortage they were now approving requests for two bodies per grave burials.
“The city allows for two bodies in one grave usually by request and this is common with couples who indicate the same at the initial burial and the depth is adjusted accordingly. Allowing for second interment is not for purposes of space saving but accommodates families who want their parents to be close to each other at burial and would not have reserved a grave next to the first departed spouse at the time of burial. This is also only possible if the time lapse between the first burial and second burial is at least 10 years.
“However, if the family indicates through application to the director of health services that they would want a second interment at the death of the first spouse, the grave can be dug deeper than the standard depth to a depth of 2,2 metres. In such a case the 10-year waiting period falls off as second burial can be done even within two weeks. Grave fees are paid in both instances that are at first burial and second burial,” Mrs Mpofu said.
The local authority also passed a resolution to encourage all children under the age of 10 years to be cremated so as to save the burial space they had.
“Due to pressure for burial space at cemeteries and the amount of space taken up by infants it had now been decided, in conjunction with the central hospitals that an arrangement be made where all the infants (including paupers) should, starting from next (this) year be cremated so that we free up the burial space.
“This will be done with the consent of the bereaved parents, so that those who may not be comfortable with the cremation process may seek normal burial. The idea was to free up burial space which was dwindling very fast, especially at the current moment where all burials were done at Luveve Extension cemetery. The cremations would be done at our crematorium in West Park,” reads the report.
