Johannesburg - Ekurhuleni’s cemeteries are quickly running out of space that there is only 30 percent of vacant burial space left across the entire municipality.
In a statement sent out on Monday, the City said it had to close Phumlani Cemetery in Etwatwa three weeks ago it had reached capacity. It said there was no availability of burial space for first interment.
However, the city said, the cemetery remains ready for second, in appropriate circumstances, third interment. It has also reserved a small portion of land there for the burial of indigents and paupers only.
As a result, the City is encouraging Ekurhuleni residents to consider other options to save burial space, such as second and third interment in accordance with the City’s Cemetery and Crematorium by-laws.
"The by-laws make provision for multiple interments in one grave on condition that an application has been made to the cemetery officer and written permission has been granted.
"Families who have arranged reserved graves can still bury on those spaces only if they can produce proof of reserved graves to cemetery officials.
"Residents in the Etwatwa area can utilise nearby cemeteries such as Lala Ngoxolo Cemetery in Crystal Park and Springs Sub Regional cemetery in Petersfield.
In 2015 the municipality's Themba Gadebe stated there was only 11 years for first internment burials across Ekurhuleni still available.
At the time, one of Kempton Park’s older cemeteries, Zuurfontein Cemetery, was nearing capacity as it had only had just over 80 graves remaining.