The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is set to decommission West Park Cemetery at the end of March as it has run out of burial space.
The local authority was in 2016 granted permission to set up a new cemetery in Pumula South with a capacity to carry 150 000 graves.
However, the cemetery is still not yet operational.
Bulawayo currently has seven cemeteries namely Athlone Avenue, Athlone Extension, Luveve 3, Luveve Extension, West Park and Lady Stanley and Hyde Park (second interment) and handles about 300 to 400 burials per month.
According to the latest council report, said plans were being made to apply to government change Athlone cemetery extension from an upmarket cemetery to an ordinary one.
“Considerations were being made to change it from up market to a general cemetery. Currently, only water and construction of a toilet was needed. Athlone extension had more than 4000 graves. It would cater for adults only. Children would still be buried at West Park in the remaining areas,” read part of the report.
According to the report, the local authority has applied for permission to construct a rail level crossing at Marvel cemetery before burials commence.
The local authority had planned to have Athlone Cemetery operational in during the 100 day programme, while the second 100 day would produce Marvel Cemetery and Pumula South in the 3rd 100 day plan.
