Bulawayo identifies new cemetery site

Bulawayo City Council has identified a 43-hectare site at Goodhope Farm as a potential new cemetery, with the capacity to accommodate 80,000 graves. The farm, located 17 kilometres from the city centre, is owned by the local authority and has been earmarked as a burial site in line with the city's Masterplan.

According to the latest council minutes, the Director of Town Planning, Mr Wisdom Siziba, informed the Town Lands and Planning Committee in February that burial space at Luveve and Umvutsha cemeteries was rapidly depleting, necessitating the establishment of new sites to meet growing demand. He also noted that while cremation had been encouraged, it remained unpopular among residents.

"The Town Planning Department provided for these sites in terms of the Masterplan. One of the sites in terms of the Masterplan, which had been earmarked for the establishment of a cemetery in the immediate future, was to the north of the city centre, within portions of the following properties: Goodhope Farm, Umvutsha B, and Subdivision B of Mapani," reads the minutes.

A deeds search revealed that Subdivision B of Mapani is Government land, Umvutsha B is privately owned, and Goodhope Farm belongs to the City of Bulawayo. The council has recommended that a portion of Goodhope Farm, which is currently not being used for farming, be gazetted and designated as a cemetery site.

Access to the proposed cemetery would be via Victoria Falls Road, turning onto Sterling and then onto Bulawayo Drive. However, council officials noted that these roads require rehabilitation and upgrading to accommodate increased traffic volumes.

Assistant Director of Town Planning, Ms Sehlile Ndlovu, explained that the department was proactively planning for land use to secure more land for commercial and residential purposes. She also pointed out the challenges associated with other designated cemetery sites.

"Marvel and Pumula South cemeteries had been gazetted for a long time. Pumula South Cemetery was located in a rocky area, making grave production difficult. Specialised tools were needed. Marvel Cemetery's access was difficult, especially from Harare Road," she said.

Following deliberations, the committee resolved that the site, which lies on a portion of RE of Goodhope and measures 43 hectares, as depicted on diagram TPA 9966, be handed over to the Health Services Department for gazetting. The council also agreed that the necessary infrastructure be put in place to support the cemetery's development.

As burial space continues to dwindle, the local authority has been encouraging residents to consider cremation. In November 2019, the council proposed mandatory cremation for individuals aged 25 and below to address the shortage of burial space. However, the proposal faced strong resistance from residents, who view cremation as a foreign practice that contradicts cultural traditions.

Religious objections have also been raised, with some Christian groups citing the lack of biblical references to cremation as a reason for their opposition. Despite these challenges, the city remains committed to finding sustainable solutions to its burial space crisis.