RELIGIOUS bodies in Johannesburg may be forced to ask their affiliates to have their congregants and relatives buried on top of each other in the same plot or cremated as the city’s burial space is becoming increasingly limited.
With just over a million graves available and with 28 of the city’s 32 cemeteries full, residents of the City of Johannesburg are being urged to consider alternative burial options including shared family graves, cremations, and the use of mausoleums. The City said that while there is burial space for the foreseeable future, it is looking at more sustainable and even environmentally friendly alternatives.
Moulana Ebrahim Bham from the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa, said that it was permissible for Muslims to be buried in reusable graves. “In a case where there is such pressure on land resources as the city of Johannesburg is experiencing, the reuse of graves is permissible,” said Bham.
However, Bham said Islam did not allow cremation of humans.
“When a Muslim dies, he/she is washed, shrouded, prayed over and then buried in the ground as soon as possible. This ensures the dignity of the deceased as well as preserving the sacredness of human remains.”
Of the 32 cemeteries across Johannesburg only four have not yet reached full capacity. These includes Westpark with burial space of between six to seven years, Olifantsvlei Cemetery in the South with 800 000 burials for the next 50 to 70 years, Diepsloot and the Waterval cemeteries in the north of Joburg with burial space for the next 25 to 30 years.
Avalon Cemetery, Newclare cemetery, Alexandra Cemetery, Brixton, Braamfontein and Doornkop cemeteries are all full.
Johannesburg City Parks said it remains mindful that there are religious and traditional constraints regarding cremations which is why it is prioritising increasing awareness on the option for “reopenings” to bury loved ones in the same grave as a family member.
“This will effectively ensure that all 32 cemeteries are active and are fully utilised“ said MMC for Community Development Nonhlanhla Sifumba
“Grave re-openings are already taking place especially in Alexandra and at the Avalon Cemetery since these cemeteries have reached full capacity for new burials,” Sifumba said. Another option was “grave reduction” which is reburying the remains of a long lost family member in a smaller urn and then utilising the same grave for the family to reuse.
“The City maintains that being buried in the same grave is more affordable has huge cost-savings for ratepayers is environmentally friendly and affords families a central point to pay tribute and conduct religious ceremonies if needed,” said Sifumba.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) said that reusable graves was also a permissible option for Jewish people. “Burying one on top of the other is not forbidden, as the example of the old Jewish cemetery in Prague shows, although certainly not preferable,” said Dabid Saks, the deputy director of SAJBD
“Cremation is strictly forbidden in Orthodox Jewish law. Most of SA Jewry identify as Orthodox. Progressive Judaism permits cremations.”
Dr Maria Frahm-Arp, a professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Religion Studies, said theologically, Christians are allowed to bury their loved ones in reusable graves.
“Theologically, you could do that, but it’s a practice we are not into,” said Frahm-Arp.
“Cremation, however, is allowed, and is an option that more and more South African Christians are using.
“Because we allow cremation, it’s becoming increasingly popular with South African Christians especially in ‘westernised pockets’ of society. However, among black people and those living in rural areas burial is still very important.”
Sifumba said the option to have a tree planted on the gravesite or a tree planted in the cemetery as more symbolic options are also some of the options that Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) is engaging residents with.
The City of Johannesburg has a population of close to five million and growing. According to information provided by Statistics South Africa in their 2017 mid-year population estimates, the Gauteng provincial life expectancy has increased by 10 years since 2001.
These statistics are supported by the decrease in the burial rate in Johannesburg which peaked at 27000 per year in the early 2000s to averaging 17000 now.
“The City of Joburg is not running out of burial spaces. The appeal, however, is to get residents to rethink how we intern our loved ones, and to try to do it differently without compromising cultural requirements while simultaneously, taking away the burden from future generations of caring for dormant cemeteries that are full and that are managed at high-costs to ratepayers in our cities,” said Sifumba.
“The aim is to get residents to consider re-openings of family graves as a first option and then to look at alternatives such as cremations before purchasing a new grave site.”
The average number of cremations at the Braamfontein and Lenasia crematoria is at around 315 per month.