Searching for dignity living in a graveyard

LIVING in shacks atop gravesites is the lot of a desperate community of 400 people inhabiting the Sea View Cemetery on Coedmore Road in Durban.

- SIPHO JACK, BONGANI HANS, THOBEKA NGEMA and ZIMBILI VILAKAZI

Their plight caught the attention of the KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements Department that is attempting to have them relocated to formal houses and restore respect for the deceased.

Spokesperson for the department, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said the Sea View situation underscored the desperation of some communities that resorted to inhabiting sacred spaces.

Those who call the cemetery home have built their dwellings in all the available space. In some instances tombstones are found in some shacks. It's common practice for inhabitants to walk on graves, children play on them, and some even sleep on them.

"The MEC, Siboniso Duma, has stated that it is incorrect for people to live on top of graves," Sibiya revealed, emphasising the significant cultural implications of such a situation.

"We must remember the spirit of ubuntu, as cemeteries are regarded as sacred spaces.”

This sentiment reflects a broader call for dignity and respect towards those who have passed away, while also confronting the pressing housing crisis faced by many South Africans.