Nigel Cemetery closed
Labuschagne also indicated there is no alternative land allocated and that the municipality has not yet made any plans to construct a new cemetery.
The DA in Ekurhuleni is concerned about the closure of the Nigel Cemetery due to a lack of space.
According to Ward 88 councillor Wollaston Labuschagne, the facility has been closed for new burials since July 2019, although some graves have been arranged for second and third interments (burial of relatives in the same grave)
“The metro provided little notice to the councillors or the residents concerned regarding the closure,” Labuschagne said.
The closure of the facility means residents in Nigel and the surrounding areas have to use cemeteries in Alra Park, Heidelberg or Vlakfontein to bury their loved ones.
Labuschagne also indicated there is no alternative land allocated and that the municipality has not yet made any plans to construct a new cemetery.
“Not only is the closure highly inconvenient, but it also denies residents the dignity and preference to bury their loved ones close to their relatives,” he explained.
“In most religions, it is customary to bury family members in the same facility.
“As the ward councillor, I received a call from a distraught resident whose husband had recently died and was unable to bury him at the Nigel Cemetery.
“The Nigel customer care centre confirmed that only Alra Park, Heidelberg and Vlakfontein cemeteries were available, and two of these facilities has little meaning to the concerned resident.”
HERAUT requested a comment from the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) regarding the closure of the cemetery and their plans for making more space available; however, no response had been received at the time of publication.
