THE COPE branch in Durban has criticised the eThekwini municipality for the decision to recycle graves in previously disadvantaged areas.
The municipality's parks, recreation and culture unit announced last week that it would did up old graves and put the remains in one mass grave to make room for new burials. The city says cemeteries are running out of space.
The head of the unit, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, said yesterday that the recycling would start within the current financial year as a pilot project, after which it would be implemented at other cemeteries in eThekwini.
He said in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Cemeteries and Crematoria Act, the municipality was at liberty to decide what to do with graves 10 years after burial.
"The municipality has realised that there is a major problem with burial space and that problem is not only in eThekwini, but other big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town are experiencing the same thing," Ngcobo said.
Cope deputy regional secretary Hlengiwe Hlophe said according to black culture the graves of ancestors were regarded as sacred and the plan by the municipality was a "serious insult".
"There is no proof that the city is running out of space to bury people," Hlophe said.
"There is a great deal of land available that the city is giving to developers.
"They only appear to be targeting black people and graveyards in black townships and not the old graveyards, such as the one at the corner of Pixley ka Seme and Joseph Nduli streets.
"This is more evidence that the city does not care about the poor, because it knows the poor people who need to bury their dead cannot fight back."
In 2007, a city council meeting resolved that there would be no more burials in the city centre, but that people would be cremated instead.
"This is completely against black culture. There has been no consultation and no alternative on offer, the city is just going ahead, telling people they are backward because they want to bury their people with dignity," said Hlophe.
Cultural expert Professor Jabulani Maphalala said this was against the customs of blacks to exhume remains and rebury them in mass graves as proposed. He said it was a "disgrace" that the municipality was contemplating doing it.
"It's uncalled for. In our culture, a person does not die, but we say he has passed on or has gone. The graveyard is a respectable place. I think they want to do this because blacks are respecting too much.
"They cannot go to a Jewish cemetery and do as they please, but they abide by rules and regulations of the Jewish community."
Graves row hots up
THE COPE branch in Durban has criticised the eThekwini municipality for the decision to recycle graves in previously disadvantaged areas.
The municipality's parks, recreation and culture unit announced last week that it would did up old graves and put the remains in one mass grave to make room for new burials. The city says cemeteries are running out of space.
The head of the unit, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, said yesterday that the recycling would start within the current financial year as a pilot project, after which it would be implemented at other cemeteries in eThekwini.
He said in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Cemeteries and Crematoria Act, the municipality was at liberty to decide what to do with graves 10 years after burial.
"The municipality has realised that there is a major problem with burial space and that problem is not only in eThekwini, but other big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town are experiencing the same thing," Ngcobo said.
Cope deputy regional secretary Hlengiwe Hlophe said according to black culture the graves of ancestors were regarded as sacred and the plan by the municipality was a "serious insult".
"There is no proof that the city is running out of space to bury people," Hlophe said.
"There is a great deal of land available that the city is giving to developers.
"They only appear to be targeting black people and graveyards in black townships and not the old graveyards, such as the one at the corner of Pixley ka Seme and Joseph Nduli streets.
"This is more evidence that the city does not care about the poor, because it knows the poor people who need to bury their dead cannot fight back."
In 2007, a city council meeting resolved that there would be no more burials in the city centre, but that people would be cremated instead.
"This is completely against black culture. There has been no consultation and no alternative on offer, the city is just going ahead, telling people they are backward because they want to bury their people with dignity," said Hlophe.
Cultural expert Professor Jabulani Maphalala said this was against the customs of blacks to exhume remains and rebury them in mass graves as proposed. He said it was a "disgrace" that the municipality was contemplating doing it.
"It's uncalled for. In our culture, a person does not die, but we say he has passed on or has gone. The graveyard is a respectable place. I think they want to do this because blacks are respecting too much.
"They cannot go to a Jewish cemetery and do as they please, but they abide by rules and regulations of the Jewish community."