Durban - The eThekwini Municipality has announced it intends to open two new cemeteries in Inanda and a crematorium in Phoenix.
City officials have identified suitable land for a cemetery at Inanda Farm and Broadvale Farm.
The Community Services Committee yesterday, authorised the heads of the Parks, Recreation and Culture and the Real Estate units the go ahead to acquire the land for new cemeteries.
Of 65 municipal cemeteries, only 14 cemeteries are still operational. These are filling up rapidly.
Deputy chairperson of the committee, Thembo Ntuli, said that although land has been identified for new cemeteries in eThekwini, the reality was that cemeteries are rapidly filling up and the scope for new sites are limited.
“This piece of land will not be enough to address the lack of burial space in the medium to long term. As a result of the scarcity of land, alternative human remains disposal methods have to be considered,” said Ntuli.
Jan Burger of the South African Cemeteries Association said it is high time people explore other methods. “Other than cremation, we have new methods that people can use to dispose of human remains including resomation (water cremation), dissolution (alkaline hydrolysis), promession (freeze drying) and green burial movement.”
The Municipality is seeking proposals from private entities to construct and manage a new crematorium in Phoenix. Some of the conditions attached to the partnership include the agreement to a 30-year lease with the municipality, full maintenance of equipment and buildings by the bidder, a rental of R34 400 a month subject to a five percent increase each year and for the crematoria to be handed back to the council after 30 years.