THE Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s (JCPZ’s) announcement of the Westpark Cemetery reaching its full capacity comes days before the closing of comments on the stringent draft cemetery, parks, and nature reserve bylaws.
The cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent South Africans such as ANC stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, late former president Nelson Mandela’s first wife Evelyn Mase, legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela, kwaito legend Mandoza, maskandi icon Johnny Clegg, and rapper AKA, among others.
Joburg residents have until Friday to comment on the proposed review and amendments to the by-laws, which among other matters deal with coffins allowed, sizes of graves, reservation of graves, inferior memorial work, inscriptions on memorial, and recording of burials and cremations, among others.
The proposed review and amendment of the by-laws also deal with enforcement by the City of Joburg through fines, enforcement officers, and police.
According to the JCPZ’s opinion, the cemeteries and crematoria by-laws also contain a penalty clause in cases of contraventions.
This allows the city to impose a conviction to a fine or upon conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to such imprisonment without the option of a fine, or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
Should the offence be ongoing, the wrongdoer may be liable to a proportionate part of the fine, for each day during which the offence continues after the date on which notice in writing has been given to perform or to discontinue a specific act or, in default of payment of the proportionate fine, to imprisonment for a proportionate part of the period.
The Westpark Cemetery will reach full capacity in four months or by May.
It is now only limiting burials to 15 interments a week as 39 of the 42 cemeteries managed by the JCPZ are at full capacity.
There have been complaints about vandalism and neglect at the city’s other older cemeteries such as Brixton and Braamfontein.
The JCPZ has urged residents to consider reopening graves as some families have opted for this option for relatives.
According to JCPZ, this practice preserves valuable burial space and helps mitigate the rising long-term costs of installing additional headstones and maintaining large tracts of dormant cemeteries at huge costs to the ratepayer.
Cremation is another option which presents a sustainable and space-saving burial.
The JCPZ also advises that mausoleums should be considered where families opt for above-ground multiple burial chambers to inter more than one relative.
It will be redirecting requests to the three active cemeteries – Olifantsvlei, south of Joburg, Waterval in Midrand, and Diepsloot – which currently have sufficient capacity for the next 30 to 40 years.