Grave concern over burial land
CRL probes violation of people’s beliefs
The CRL Commission has launched an inquiry into access to burial land and ancestral graves.
Multiple complaints about the denial of right of access to graves‚ especially on farms and private property‚ lack of municipal land for burial and the violation of people’s beliefs, have prompted the investigation‚ the commission said.
CRL commissioner Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said complainants strongly argued that “for them‚ cemeteries are more than just a burial places”.
“Consequently‚ the deceased person’s bones and sanctified burial place becomes very important‚ and therefore should not be disturbed by anyone,” said Mkhwanazi-Xaluva yesterday in Johannesburg.
The eThekwini municipality was a key focus of the discussion. It caused an uproar in 2011 when it announced that due to lack of land‚ communities should consider using biodegradable coffins‚ recycled graves and standardised tombstones or cremate their loved ones‚ regardless of their cultural beliefs.
Although the municipality said it was faced with a scarcity of burial space‚ the commission said the lack of burial land was not the community’s problem but the government’s.
“We cannot have a municipality that consistently hides behind lack of land. We have been engaging them for the past seven years and even today they have not done anything.
“The lack of burial land even leads to some people being kept for a long time in mortuary. Something that is expensive for poor families.
“The issue of land ownership and expropriation of land also has a big impact on this issue‚” said Mkhwanazi-Xaluva.
It is the commission’s view that the most affected were people from poor communities “as most rich people can afford buying graves in private cemeteries”.
As from next week‚ the commission will start consultations across the country and draw up a report with recommendations by the end of July. –