News / National
Council in cremator dilemma
11 Oct 2017 at 12:31hrs | Views
THE council is battling to bring into the country a cremator bought from South Africa for nearly $100 000 due to contractual challenges.
Currently, the city has only one cremator situated at West Park Cemetery.
According to the latest council minutes, town clerk Christopher Dube indicated that early last month he had submitted a report to council seeking authority to pay
R120 000 to the South African Revenue Authority, as clearance costs to facilitate the release of the cremator which is currently held in Durban.
This was after it became apparent that the contractor was failing to pay the clearance costs.
Dube further reported that efforts to make the payment failed because the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had requested certain information from the contractor, which could not be produced as the company was no longer operational.
Having hit a brick wall, the matter was referred back to management, which sought audience with the contractor's lawyers.
"Council had paid the contractor $97 120 deposit and chances of recovering these funds were very slim.
"In order to mitigate our loss, management was proposing that council takesover the contract from Durban to Zimbabwe including the installation," reads the council minutes in part.
What appears to be causing headaches to the city fathers is that if the contract is cancelled, council stands to lose the deposit it had paid. It will also cost more to issue a new tender.,
Moreover, most of the costs outstanding would remain in force whether the contract was cancelled or not and that it was better to pay a little more than to lose $97 120.
It was therefore, recommended that council takesover the contract and that the costs involved thereof will be reported to the relevant committee as soon as the figures become available.
"The authority be granted for council to take over the contract for the procurement and delivery of the cremator from Durban on the understanding that the costs thereof would be reported to Council as soon as the relevant figures become available," reads part of the resolution.
Cremation is a process when a dead body is burnt at temperatures ranging between 1 400 to 1 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The intense heat reduces the body to its basic elements and dry bone fragments.
As part of efforts to limit the fast reduction of burial space in the city, where there has been a low uptake of cremation, the local authority has been encouraging residents to consider it as a substitute to the conventional burial.
On average, the monthly rate of cremation stands at 12 and the majority are Hindu, who culturally and religiously believe in cremation.
Cremation of an adult resident costs $63,00, if conducted from Monday to Friday while the charge is $72 for weekends and holidays.
Non-residents of the city are charged at different percentages of citizen's rates depending on the day of cremation but the average is $95.
Currently, the city has only one cremator situated at West Park Cemetery.
According to the latest council minutes, town clerk Christopher Dube indicated that early last month he had submitted a report to council seeking authority to pay
R120 000 to the South African Revenue Authority, as clearance costs to facilitate the release of the cremator which is currently held in Durban.
This was after it became apparent that the contractor was failing to pay the clearance costs.
Dube further reported that efforts to make the payment failed because the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had requested certain information from the contractor, which could not be produced as the company was no longer operational.
Having hit a brick wall, the matter was referred back to management, which sought audience with the contractor's lawyers.
"Council had paid the contractor $97 120 deposit and chances of recovering these funds were very slim.
"In order to mitigate our loss, management was proposing that council takesover the contract from Durban to Zimbabwe including the installation," reads the council minutes in part.
What appears to be causing headaches to the city fathers is that if the contract is cancelled, council stands to lose the deposit it had paid. It will also cost more to issue a new tender.,
Moreover, most of the costs outstanding would remain in force whether the contract was cancelled or not and that it was better to pay a little more than to lose $97 120.
It was therefore, recommended that council takesover the contract and that the costs involved thereof will be reported to the relevant committee as soon as the figures become available.
"The authority be granted for council to take over the contract for the procurement and delivery of the cremator from Durban on the understanding that the costs thereof would be reported to Council as soon as the relevant figures become available," reads part of the resolution.
Cremation is a process when a dead body is burnt at temperatures ranging between 1 400 to 1 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The intense heat reduces the body to its basic elements and dry bone fragments.
As part of efforts to limit the fast reduction of burial space in the city, where there has been a low uptake of cremation, the local authority has been encouraging residents to consider it as a substitute to the conventional burial.
On average, the monthly rate of cremation stands at 12 and the majority are Hindu, who culturally and religiously believe in cremation.
Cremation of an adult resident costs $63,00, if conducted from Monday to Friday while the charge is $72 for weekends and holidays.
Non-residents of the city are charged at different percentages of citizen's rates depending on the day of cremation but the average is $95.
Source - dailynews
