Burial space crisis has become a grave concern

THE eThekwini Municipality in Durban is facing a severe crisis due to an escalating shortage of burial space.

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All 66 municipal cemeteries in the city reached full capacity in 2020, driven by rapid urbanisation, historical mortality surges, and a strong cultural and religious preference for burial over cremation.

The influx of immigration and business development nationally has posed a major problem for urban areas throughout South Africa, where city residents, especially in Durban and Johannesburg, have limited and/or no burial spaces for their deceased loved ones.

This shortage has led to 'undignified practices, such as grave re-usage, a pervasive lack of maintenance, and alleged instances of bribery for gravesite acquisition. These issues undermine citizens’ constitutional right to a dignified interment according to their beliefs and have profound societal implications, affecting cultural identity, spiritual well-being, and public trust.

Durban’s population has swelled to 3.9 million people post-1994, a demographic surge compounded by high historical mortality rates from politically inspired violence before 1994, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

These cumulative events, combined with population growth, have created an unsustainable demand for burial plots. The widespread practice of reusing graves is a desperate measure that has raised sensitivities and is frowned upon by communities. The decided lack of maintenance in these overcrowded facilities further detracts from the dignity of the burial process for grieving families.

The preference for burial over cremation is a foundational element of spiritual and social identity for many in the population, particularly African traditionalists and African Christians.