EThekwini to move forward on grave reuse
THE eThekwini Municipality has, for the first time in about 10 years, responded positively to the issue of grave recycling.
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities yesterday heard that, among its recommendations to resolve the issue, the city was working towards recommending the amendment of the provincial Cemeteries and Crematoria Act.
Durban mayor Zandile Gumede yesterday presented to the commission the progress she had made to try to appease aggrieved families who had lodged complaints about their loved ones’ graves being tampered with for the purpose of recycling.
During the presentation at the Garden Court Marine Parade, Professor David Mosoma, the deputy commissioner, said they had “many” complaints of the violation of graves around the municipality.
“We have had a number of interventions with the previous mayor. We have also debated this issue in the media, and it has been with us for 10 years now. It’s the first time in that period to get a positive feedback – to be informed that something is being done about the problem,” Mosoma said.
Recycling graves, in numerous instances, had resulted in people of different families being buried in one grave without the knowledge of their relatives. The commission said in some instances a family would get a grave without a tombstone and bury their loved one on top of another body, and then erect a tombstone.
“When the first family visits the grave, they find the tombstone and get confused. If I bury my mother and leave no tombstone on her grave, that doesn’t mean that I won’t erect one. It could be that I was still saving money and once I have enough, where will her remembrance stone be placed?” asked another commissioner.
In her response to the questions posed by the commission, Gumede said the municipality was guided by the provincial Cemeteries and Crematoria Act No 12 of 1996.
The act made provisions for unleased graves to be reused 10 years after the interment of a body.
Gumede said the municipality intended to adopt a decision that would allow families that could not afford to renew leases after 10 years to come forward, and after a thorough assessment they would be given amnesty to continue leasing without paying.
“During the reuse of gravesites, remains are treated with the utmost dignity. To avoid people of different cultural and religious backgrounds being buried in the same grave, the municipality encouraged the burial of family members in a particular grave.
“In future, the municipality will use the services of a tracing agent to locate all people whose lease agreements are coming to an end, and consult with them adequately before tampering with the gravesite,” Gumede said.
Only after all efforts in place had been exhausted, and with no success in consulting with the deed-holder, would the municipality reuse the gravesite as permitted by the law, she said.
The municipality, Gumede said, intended to lobby and engage the provincial government and the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to amend the act.
She further submitted that when graves were to be recycled, a permit would be sought from the provincial heritage body.
To lease a grave costs R950 for 10 years. Exhumation for the purposes of recycling is done with written approval of the minister, except where such excavation or removal is required for medico-legal purposes and is undertaken in terms of Section 3 of the Inquests Act.
Thokozile Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, the commission chairperson, said: “I am happy that we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. It is also important for us to educate our communities about the importance of looking after their loved ones’ gravesites.”
DURING THE REUSE OF GRAVESITES, REMAINS ARE TREATED WITH THE UTMOST DIGNITY