Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu has called for a review of the city’s burial policy to allow close family members to be buried in the same grave, as the local authority faces dwindling space at its cemeteries.
Ndlovu said extending double interment beyond married couples could help conserve burial space while the city identifies alternative burial sites.
He made the proposal during a Full Council meeting, where councillors raised concerns about the remaining burial capacity and the need for standardised procedures for double interments.
“We are running low on burial spaces. We need to change our policies from reserving double interment only for spouses. Maybe we can consider, with the permission of family members, that they could bury close family members in the same space,” Ndlovu said.
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“This could extend to children and other close family members as long as they are comfortable with the set-up. If the committee could look into this policy and come up with alternatives that can assist to save space while the city tries to find alternative
places for burial.”
According to council minutes, Councillor Rendani Moyo called on the local authority to provide information on the burial space already used and the remaining capacity at its cemeteries to guide future planning.
He said council needed to establish standard procedures for burials, particularly for graves designated for double interments.
Deputy chairperson of the Health, Housing and Education Committee, Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo, highlighted challenges encountered when opening graves for second burials, particularly where concrete had been used during the initial burial.
She said some residents had resorted to using concrete because they feared that coffins and caskets could be vandalised.
The minutes indicate that she called on council to establish standard procedures to address the challenges associated with double interments.
Responding to the concerns, Acting Assistant Director of Health Services (Environmental) Charles Malaba said couples intending to have double interments should inform council during the first burial to allow for proper preparation of the grave.
He said the issue of establishing standard burial procedures would also be considered.
Malaba said the city had used between 50 and 60 percent of the available burial space across its cemeteries, leaving approximately 40 percent.
According to the current Master Plan, council intends to establish additional cemeteries to increase burial capacity.
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