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07 January 2022
Vimbayi Mahachi<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is set to close Athlone West Cemetery as is has reached full capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The swift population growth around Zimbabwe’s urban areas has seen burial space running out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result the Town Clerk Christopher Dube has made an official announcement in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The City of Bulawayo would like to inform the public and valuable stakeholders that burial space at Athlone West Cemetery has been exhausted,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decommissioning will take place on the 7th of January 2022. BCC is set to take over Umvutcha Cemetery which is in Trenance Suburb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commissioning of Umvutcha will take place thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Athlone West Cemetery will now be open only for non regular funerals, as per statement.
Second interments and those who have reserved graves will continue burying their loved ones there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Umvutcha Cemetery was once privately owned by AP Glendenning (Pvt) Limited company including the new residential area close to the area known as Neqi Suburb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cemetery has an estimated 45 000-grave capacity to ease a shortage of burial space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City has been battling burial space shortage following the decommissioning of West Park, Luveve, Athlone and Hyde Park cemeteries a few years back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently the Local Authority will be operating Luveve Extension and Lady Stanley before Umvutcha Cemetery is commissioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2018 Bulawayo councillors were pushing for the mandatory cremation for those under 25 years of age as the city runs out of burial space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The local authority has tried to urge residents to opt for cremation and double interment, but the uptake is low due to cultural and religious beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talking to Zim GBC News Bukhosi Nyathi from Seventh Day Adventist church said he is against the notion of cremation quoting a Bible verse which says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said this verse from the Bible holds with many Christians in Zimbabwe to oppose cremation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I want my body interred intact and I feel that nature should take its course, instead of hastening my return to dust,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the process of cremation a human body is subjected to intense heat ranging from between 500C (930F) and 800C. What happens to the ashes of the deceased is up to the family’s choice to decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lady who only wanted to be named Gogo MaNdlovu told Zim GBC News in an interview that she is against cremation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
” Mntanomtanami thina abanye siyabe sifuna ukuthethela lapha lalaphaya. Lokuyathanyela sifake amaluba okulele omunye wethu. Pho singamtshisa siyakwenza ngaphi lokho. Vele kuyazila .”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of us we speak and appease the dead once in a while or clean and place flowers on the gravesites of our loved ones. If we burn them how will we do that. Anyway it’s a taboo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another elderly lady named Nomusa Moyo said cremation would be a good idea taking onto consideration that witches take advantage of bodies of the dead and eat their flesh as they are alleged to be cannibals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
” Singamtshisa umuntu wethu abathakathi ngeke bamudle. Ngakho ukutshisa kungcono kwesinye isikhathi. Yikuthi asikujayelanga .”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we burn our loved one witches will have nothing to feast on. Thus cremation is an advantage to some extent. Just that we aren’t used to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n