West Park cemetery fast filling up

The West Park cemetery is reportedly fast getting filled amid concerns by the Bulawayo city fathers.

The Director of Health Services reported that the space at West Park cemetery was fast filling up and this calls for accelerated progress at Marvel cemetery as the city may soon face burial space challenges.

"The area west of the old section of the cemetery was opened on 21st December, 2016 to lessen the burden on over stretched Luveve cemetery which was the only burial space left after the initial closure of West Park cemetery towards the end of 2016," reads the latest council.

"There were 5 sections at the extended cemetery and the additional space was estimated to accommodate 7392 graves. The extension was projected to be adequate for burials for three and half years that meant the cemetery would be in use until mid-2020."

The council minutes states that however, the council projection according to the pegging that had been done the cemetery carries about 4000 graves.

"There were two sections in the cemetery with a combined total of 1337 which could not easily utilized as they were located in an area with hard rock which impeded grave production. So far only 217 graves have been produced and used in the sections because of the hard surface. In addition to the rocky surface there was a stream which ran through the Cemetery for which there were plans to canalize by the Engineering Services Department," reads the council minutes.

"However this had not been done and in anticipation of the works that were to be carried out space was left to allow for the movement of machinery hence a reduction in the burial space. The table below showed the space used so far and the space remaining at the extension."

The minutes states that West park cemetery records an average of 15 burials per day.

"It was estimated that the cemetery will take burials for approximately four more months meaning the cemetery may be decommissioned as early as February 2018."

 The matter was considered.