With the City of Joburg’s cemeteries filling up quickly, second and third burials are becoming a necessary option for families.
Westpark Cemetery is one of the busiest in Joburg and sees up to 75 burials taking place every weekend.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) spokesperson Jenny Moodley said, “We are mindful of congestion concerns at Westpark, which have necessitated the presence of JMPD and random patrols of park rangers to manage.”
In a bid to decrease congestion for mourners laying their loved ones to rest, JCPZ has options for burials at cemeteries that are currently closed for new plots.
Due to space constraints in Westpark, JCPZ does not always have the benefit of decentralising all daily funerals to eliminate congestion. To alleviate some of these concerns, it has put in place a campaign to encourage families to consider second and third burials in cemeteries that have reached full capacities, such as in Avalon and the cemeteries in Alexandra.
The following services are available when a loved one dies.
1. Standard first burials: A new grave plot is allocated to the family of the deceased.
2. Second interments: Second and third burials are available to family members, who choose to bury one or two additional family members in the same grave.
3. Reduction burials involve the exhumation of remains into a small coffin, which is then buried again, allowing additional burial space in the same location.
4. Cremation: A family receives the ashes of the deceased and they decide how to best honour the memory of their dearly departed thereafter.
Joburg residents are encouraged to consider alternative burial methods to ensure that there is enough burial space for future generations. Even though the city currently has sufficient burial space, this might not be the case in the future as there is increasing competition for available land as potential burial space can be used for housing, the building of schools, and businesses.
More information can be found on www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com
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