The new section of the cemetery will provide 25,000 new burial sites in the City of Johannesburg
AVALON Extension was officially unveiled yesterday.
The graveyard was running the risk of depleting all primary burial sites in the next four months. The extension has now added three years to the cemetery's life-span.
Member of mayoral committee for environment Matshidiso Mfikoe said: "I want to urge the users of this cemetery to please protect the sanctity of cemetery space and respect the holiness found on this sacred ground.
"My grandmother is buried here, so are Struggle heroes such as Joe Slovo, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Tsietsi Mashinini.
"We should not accept behaviour such as alcohol consumption, desecration of graves and headstones, illegal parking, theft of grave numbers and crime in our cemeteries. This is against all that these Struggle veterans stood for, and I urge everyone to report any suspicious activity or any transgression by any organisation or person to the park rangers."
Last week, Johannesburg City Parks invited religious organisations to conduct their respective cleansing ceremonies at the new cemetery.
Mfikoe referred to Avalon as a "resting place of kings".
"I want to also reaffirm that there are no concerns regarding the shortage of burial space in Joburg. Residents of Joburg can be rest assured that the city has adequate burial space for at least an additional 69 years," she said.
Mfikoe and City Parks acting managing director Geoffrey Cooke also said an educational drive - to convince residents to consider second burial options like reopening of old graves to bury other family members and cremation as alternatives - was being planned.
Avalon Extension includes a road network, parking, a drainage system and attenuation pond, an ablution block, guardhouse, fencing, hardrock excavation and landscaping.
The new cemetery will complement the planned roll-out of three other cemeteries in Olifantsvlei, Riverlea and Orange Farm.
Johannesburg unveils Avalon Extension
The new section of the cemetery will provide 25,000 new burial sites in the City of Johannesburg
AVALON Extension was officially unveiled yesterday.
The graveyard was running the risk of depleting all primary burial sites in the next four months. The extension has now added three years to the cemetery's life-span.
Member of mayoral committee for environment Matshidiso Mfikoe said: "I want to urge the users of this cemetery to please protect the sanctity of cemetery space and respect the holiness found on this sacred ground.
"My grandmother is buried here, so are Struggle heroes such as Joe Slovo, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Tsietsi Mashinini.
"We should not accept behaviour such as alcohol consumption, desecration of graves and headstones, illegal parking, theft of grave numbers and crime in our cemeteries. This is against all that these Struggle veterans stood for, and I urge everyone to report any suspicious activity or any transgression by any organisation or person to the park rangers."
Last week, Johannesburg City Parks invited religious organisations to conduct their respective cleansing ceremonies at the new cemetery.
Mfikoe referred to Avalon as a "resting place of kings".
"I want to also reaffirm that there are no concerns regarding the shortage of burial space in Joburg. Residents of Joburg can be rest assured that the city has adequate burial space for at least an additional 69 years," she said.
Mfikoe and City Parks acting managing director Geoffrey Cooke also said an educational drive - to convince residents to consider second burial options like reopening of old graves to bury other family members and cremation as alternatives - was being planned.
Avalon Extension includes a road network, parking, a drainage system and attenuation pond, an ablution block, guardhouse, fencing, hardrock excavation and landscaping.
The new cemetery will complement the planned roll-out of three other cemeteries in Olifantsvlei, Riverlea and Orange Farm.
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