THE country is fast running out of burial space and everybody needs to play a part in finding solutions to the crisis that is facing our country and the world. This was the general consensus by nearly 150 delegates who attended the two-day South African Cemeteries Association Conference 2013, hosted by the eThekwini Municipality at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The conference was attended by officials and councillors from various municipalities, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), undertakers and other stakeholders. Among the issues discussed were sustainable cemetery and crematorium practices, indigent and pauper burial management, green infrastructure and the state of metro cemeteries.
Mayor James Nxumalo said dealing with the issue of cemetery space was difficult because cemeteries were competing with developments such as housing, agriculture and infrastructure. “It is really a competition between the dead and the living. As government we have a responsibility to provide housing and other development infrastructure to ensure that we have a sustainable city. On the other hand, we have to meet the demand for cemeteries, as we find some of our communities are still sceptical about alternative burial methods that have been identified.”
Nxumalo said another challenge the city faced regarding the establishment of cemeteries was the fact that not all land is suitable for burials. He said before a cemetery can be established an Environment Assessment Impact study had to be carried out to ensure the suitability of the land. It was also noted that once a piece of land had been used for burial purposes, it could never be used for any other purpose, which could have a negative impact on infrastructure development for future generations.
Possible solutions suggested by some of the presenters included the establishment of cost effective and environmentally-friendly cemeteries and burials, cremations, use of bio-degradable coffins which should be regulated, education of communities about the challenges that are currently faced by municipalities as well as the benefits of reusing graves and employing a variety of cost-effective methods as alternatives to traditional burial.
Alan Buff, Manager of Parks at the City of Johannesburg said somechallenges being faced by council were the theft of tombstones and other infrastructure, vandalism, illegal burials and lack of human resources. “The City of Johannesburg is also looking at alternatives to deal with the crisis, including the establishment of above-ground burials, reviewing tariffs, marketing of cremation which is a cheaper option and enhancing partnership and community participation,” he said.
The delegates all agreed that the global crisis had to be tackled head on and serious considerations needed to be taken into account before decisions were made in addressing the situation. “Whatever decision we take now will have long lasting implications on future generations, so it is critical to apply our minds and think strategically,” said the Deputy City Manager of Community and Emergency Services Cluster, Dr Musa Gumede.ate/
