South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, worst-hit by Aids in the country, faces a lack of burial space due the growing number of deaths from the disease, officials warned at a two-day conference that ended on Friday.
The eastern port city of Durban is struggling to keep up — only two out of 22 cemeteries have vacant plots left — and they are supposed to accommodate burials for another 10 years.
”An average of six funerals took place on a Saturday five years ago. Today that number has increased to around 40 to 45. Most of the dead are between 18 and 30 [years old],” Durban mayor Obed Mlaba told conference delegates.
South Africa has one of the highest Aids rates in the world, with UNAids estimating that 5,3-million people, or one in nine, are infected.
In Durban, South Africa’s third-largest city, more than 600 burials take place every month. Of these, only 50 people are cremated.
Six years ago, the city recorded only 150 burials per month.
Against this backdrop, the first national conference on cemeteries and crematoria has focused on convincing South Africans to cremate the dead rather than bury them.
Provincial health minister Zweli Mkhize told the conference that the large number of deaths as a result of the pandemic has contributed to the increasing competition for burial space.
Mkhize appealed to traditional leaders, who have a massive amount of influence among KwaZulu-Natal’s rural population, to encourage people to look at alternatives to burial.
These sentiments were echoed by Durban’s director for parks, recreation and culture, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, under whose control Durban’s cemeteries fall, who said communities need to discuss alternatives to burial.
Ngcobo said cremations are not popular among Zulus, many of whose faith emphasises strong spiritual links with their ancestors.
At the same time the city’s large Muslim population views cremation as taboo.
Nomusa Dube, speaker for Durban’s municipality, said the city has purchased 100ha of land for a cemetery near Umlazi, a sprawling township to the south of the city.
Pumla Radebe, president of the National Institute for Environment and Recreation Management, told the conference that young people are more open to cremation.
”Studies among young people have shown that they would opt for cremation,” Radebe said.
Conference documents and proposals will be simplified into a summary to form the basis of a new national policy. This document will be handed to KwaZulu-Natal’s local government minister, Dumisani Makhaye, who will then take the process forward. — Sapa-AFP