News / National
Paupers' burial for 80 bodies
18 Nov 2018 at 07:29hrs | Views
A TOTAL of 80 bodies of paupers were laid to rest at Luveve Cemetery last Thursday before sunrise.
Pastors that included Reverend Archford Balance and Washington Jembere and councillors Febbie Msipa of Ward 15 and Mildred Ncube of Ward 16 attended the pauper burial.
Also in attendance were two representatives from the social welfare department (they declined to be named) as they were not cleared to talk to the media.
Rev Balance corrected the long standing belief that bodies of unknown people were just lumped into one grave.
"There is a long-standing belief that bodies of unknown people are just thrown into one grave, but that is not true as they are accorded a decent burial. Each body is buried in its grave and we follow all the procedures that are done in a burial," Balance told B-Metro.
Ward 16 councillor Mildred Ncube said relatives of those buried there can go and identify their relative.
"Burying them in separate graves will help the relatives of the deceased to identify their relative for re-burial whenever a family feels like doing so,"said Cnllr Ncube.
Councillor Msipa said she will advise residents in her ward to always carry identity particulars.
"I will advice people from my ward (Luveve) to prioritise carrying identity particulars so that if any unfortunate incident like sudden death happens they could be identified," she said.
Councillor Ncube went on to say relatives or guardians should report to police any missing relatives.
"Let me hasten to say relatives or guardians should be worried when one of their own goes missing and should quickly report the matter to the police," she said.
Director for Mabvuto Kugwirizana Funeral Services in charge of the burial process explained when a deceased a person is accorded a pauper's burial.
"A person is declared a pauper after a period of 21 days when no relative or next of kin has come forward to identify their body,"he said.
Pastors that included Reverend Archford Balance and Washington Jembere and councillors Febbie Msipa of Ward 15 and Mildred Ncube of Ward 16 attended the pauper burial.
Also in attendance were two representatives from the social welfare department (they declined to be named) as they were not cleared to talk to the media.
Rev Balance corrected the long standing belief that bodies of unknown people were just lumped into one grave.
"There is a long-standing belief that bodies of unknown people are just thrown into one grave, but that is not true as they are accorded a decent burial. Each body is buried in its grave and we follow all the procedures that are done in a burial," Balance told B-Metro.
Ward 16 councillor Mildred Ncube said relatives of those buried there can go and identify their relative.
Councillor Msipa said she will advise residents in her ward to always carry identity particulars.
"I will advice people from my ward (Luveve) to prioritise carrying identity particulars so that if any unfortunate incident like sudden death happens they could be identified," she said.
Councillor Ncube went on to say relatives or guardians should report to police any missing relatives.
"Let me hasten to say relatives or guardians should be worried when one of their own goes missing and should quickly report the matter to the police," she said.
Director for Mabvuto Kugwirizana Funeral Services in charge of the burial process explained when a deceased a person is accorded a pauper's burial.
"A person is declared a pauper after a period of 21 days when no relative or next of kin has come forward to identify their body,"he said.
Source - bmetro
