Mayor Cyril Xaba during a site visit at Mobeni Heights Crematorium in June 2025.
Image: Supplied
The Mobeni Heights Crematorium, a vital service for families in eThekwini, remains non-operational despite promises from the municipality to allocate R14 million for repairs.
The facility was shut down in May 2025 after its furnaces malfunctioned, resulting in high emissions and posing environmental health risks to nearby residents. With the ongoing closure, many in the community are voicing their frustrations and distress over the lack of services.
In an attempt to address the issue, the eThekwini Finance Committee released a report this month that inaccurately stated the project began that same month, with a completion timeline projected for June 2026.
Community members are not convinced by the municipality's timelines, as they have witnessed no significant progress since the pledges were made.
In June 2025, the municipality released a statement shortly after eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba visited the site to see firsthand the challenges plaguing the crematorium.
The municipality at the time said they would be spending R21-million to repair and replace furnaces at the Mobeni and oThongathi Crematoria.
Xaba had assured the community affected by the closure of the Mobeni Heights Crematorium that the municipality would accelerate the process of restoring the facility.
Chatsworth resident Dhayalan Moodley expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from authorities regarding the crematorium's status.
“I urge the relevant authorities to provide a clear update on the status of the crematorium and expedite its completion. The community deserves better. From the very inception, the crematorium has never run smoothly,” Moodley said.
Daniel Mea, a DA councillor for the eThekwini Municipality, echoed these concerns during a recent oversight visit.
“It is now February 2026, and the greater Chatsworth community still lacks a local municipal crematorium to provide their loved ones with a dignified send-off that aligns with their cultural beliefs,” Mea said.
However, community leaders like Rocky Naidoo, chairperson of the Havenside Civic Association, argue that the municipality has consistently misled residents with empty promises.
“This is an inconvenience to the community, who have to travel to Clare Estate. They also have to incur additional costs. The municipality increased tariffs over the years, but what have they done with the money?”
“The municipality increased tariffs over the years, but what have they done with the money?” Naidoo questioned, urgently calling for the council to seek expert advice on furnace maintenance from the privately managed Clare Estate Crematorium.
Gugu Sisilana, spokesperson for the municipality, said the project is currently in the tender process, with service providers being approached for quotations.
“As part of the preparatory work, the professional team conducted detailed technical research to identify a suitably manufactured furnace with reliable local support. This approach was adopted to mitigate previous operational risks associated with imported systems that had limited after-sales support,” she explained.
According to Sisilana, sufficient budget provision has been made, and the municipality is optimistic about successfully delivering the project to the community.