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SCARCITY OF LAND. THE REALITY OF SPACE SHORTAGE AND ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL BURIAL METHODS AS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. Royal Ntombela Project Excecutive Parks Recreation & Culture eThekwini Municipality. REALITY OF LAND SHORTAGE.
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SCARCITYOF LAND THE REALITY OF SPACE SHORTAGE AND ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL BURIAL METHODS AS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Royal Ntombela Project Excecutive Parks Recreation & Culture eThekwini Municipality
REALITY OF LAND SHORTAGE • People are born everyday and there is a need to provide for their passing on from this world. • Land does not expand. • Theoretically, the whole Earth can become a huge cemetery one day – if practice does not change.
THE ETHEKWINI EXPERIENCE • Central areas – 24 cemeteries only two still have new gravesites – rest are either full to capacity (thus only providing recycled graves) or have been proven unsuitable for burials. • Major Townships have no fresh burial land. • Umlazi – only recycled graves • KwaMashu – No suitable cemetery – Residents using cemeteries outside KwaMashu etc.
THE ETHEKWINI EXPERIENCE • Competition for land unfair to cemeteries. • Low priority compared to Housing, Agriculture, Recreational Facilities, Industrial etc.
CEMETERIES CENTRAL SUBSTRUCTURE Statistics Relating To Each Cemetery
CEMETERIES CENTRAL SUBSTRUCTUREStatistics Relating To Each Cemetery
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE • European Countries (UK) • Woodland burials • Cremations (70%) • Sweden • Freeze Drying methods. Swedish firm Promessa Organic – internet website www.taphophilia.com – Eco-Friendly body disposal. • America, Australia & Europe • Mausoleums
AFRICAN EXPERIENCE • Zimbabwe • Harare City Council is presently considering doing away with establishing of new Cemeteries and instead promoting Cremations as preferred option.
CREMATION AS A SUSTAINABLE OPTION • Affordable • Can be provided sustainably • Service Standards easy to formulate • Already provided by most Local Governments • Acceptable to some of our fellow Communities
CONCLUSION • Local Government subscribes to Batho Pele principle and therefore would endeavour to provide this service in accordance with the diverse community needs. • Reality however dictates that some practices need visiting.
CONCLUSION • Local Governments will always endeavour to engage communities in coming up with solutions. Hence the community awareness campaigns. • Communities urged to understand the predicament faced by Local Governments and therefore provide necessary support in terms of finding solutions. • God gave man the responsibility of Ruling the Earth (Bible Genesis 1:26) This obviously involves making informed decisions.