The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is mooting introducing concrete grave markers in the place of the metal ones which have been used for years to identify graves.
A grave marker usually has details of the deceased including the name, date of birth and death, grave number and section where they are buried.
In its latest health, housing and education committee report the local authority noted that the metal grave markers “were susceptible to weather elements and theft, in cases of fire became illegible”.
“The vandalism and destruction of the markers made it difficult to identify graves, especially those that had no monuments erected on them as they flattened out with time. Failure to identify graves cased distress to families when they visited the graves of their loved ones for varying reasons,” the report read.
To avert the challenge of destruction and vandalism of grave markers the department had mooted the introduction of concrete markers which were deemed more durable and of no value to the grave vandal.
“The markers were to be produced by the department and engraved with a grave number and inserted on the grave soon after burial,” read the report.
In 2020, the local authority banned the erection of tombstones at its new cemeteries citing space shortages.
Instead of using tombstones, the residents were advised to erect headstones which the council said takes lesser space.
