Diasporans dominate burials at West Park

Zimbabweans who are based outside the country dominated the burials at the West Park Cemetery in Bulawayo in the past months.

This is exposed by the council's latest minutes that the burials at West Park involved majority of bodies brought from outside the country with the largest number coming from South Africa with 33 bodies.

"The burials at West Park Cemetery included 33 bodies from South Africa, 1 from Northern Ireland, 1 from Botswana, 6 from Esigodini, 2 from Bubi, 2 from Matobo and 1 body each from Hwange, Lupane, Umguza and Tsholotsho," reads the minutes.

The minutes also states that a total of twelve (12) cremations, (6 females and 6 males) had been carried out during the month.

"It would be recalled that over the past few years, the department had reported that due to its central location and accessibility, West Park cemetery had been taking up most of the city's burials (around 75%). The department had now reached a point where the space left for burial was so restricted that we cannot produce the usual quota of grave," reads the minutes. "At the current rate of burial, the remaining space might not last more than a month. As a result only a limited number of burials could take place on any given day."

Minutes states that the department had now been advising mourners that up to 10 burials could be done conveniently at the cemetery per day, the rest of the burials being referred to Luveve.

"Only those communities who had reserved burial space in advance (Individuals, the Zimbabwe National Army, the Anglican Church, Guta Ramwari) would not be affected for sometime," reads the minutes.

 Director of Health Services advised that the issue would be discussed with relevant ministries soon, among other things."