Burials at Westpark Cemetery to end in May as capacity reaches limit
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo reports that 39 out of the 42 cemeteries under its management are already at full capacity.
Picture: Pexels.com
John Perlman interviews Jenny Moodley, Spokesperson of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ).
Listen below:
Johannesburg residents seeking burial space will need to explore alternative cemeteries, as Westpark Cemetery near Melville is set to reach full capacity in just four months.
Moodley explains that, in the lead-up to the May cutoff, the cemetery is limiting interments to just 15 per week.
This challenge is not limited to Westpark alone. JCPZ reports that 39 out of the 42 cemeteries under its management are already at full capacity.
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"It's quite concerning... as of the end of May, we would have to advise all funeral homes and so on that Westpark is now a full capacitated cemetery."
- Jenny Moodley, Johannesburg City Parks spokesperson
In response, JCPZ is actively exploring additional City of Johannesburg land for potential new cemetery sites.
Moodley says that burial requests will be redirected to Olifantsvlei Cemetery in the city's far south, Diepsloot Cemetery in the north, or Midrand Cemetery, all of which still have available space.
These sites have been deemed sufficient to handle future demands, even in the event of a citywide disaster, she adds.
"We will have adequate burial space for the residents."
- Jenny Moodley, Johannesburg City Parks spokesperson
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.