Threats of crematorium protest

cremate loved ones at more expensive private facilities.

In response to queries raised by Jonathan Annipen, Minority Front councillor, the manager of cemeteries at the city’s parks and recreation department promised service delivery.

Slindile Ndlovu said: “The Mobeni Crematorium is functional, but only one furnace is working.

“The dome furnace still has not been replaced and we are working with supply chain management to replace it by the 2018/19 financial year-end.”

Annipen had called for the matter to be attended to urgently.

Meanwhile, in public posts on social media people were threatening a service delivery protest on the Higginson Highway outside the crematorium.

ANC member Visvin Reddy said in his post that if negotiations with the municipality failed, he would protest.

“This is our country – we ask for a simple thing like repairing a crematorium for our dead and we get insulted in this way.”

DA councillor Sharon Hoosen has been negotiating with the municipality for several years and welcomed the rising support from civil and political bodies to fight for a fully-fledged working crematorium.

The Kwazulu-natal Funeral Directors’ Association’s Logan Chetty said he proposed protesting last year at one of several meetings to resolve the crisis.

Chetty had been attending a Commission on Religious and Language Rights meeting with the municipality where the lack of burial space and crematoriums in Durban came under the spotlight.

Chetty said he believed residents in Indian areas were being short-changed, which he said was evident from the lack of facilities in majority-indian residential areas.

“I proposed a protest last year and I’m still trying to meet the mayor. It’s shameful.”