adminFreedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council has been rocked by a graves scandal after its workers and some members of the public reportedly hoarded graves at Central Cemetery, commonly known as Mtapa, for speculative purposes.
The local authority has since run out of graves at the cemetery, with the remaining 2 000 now belonging to individuals who are selling them for between $500 and $700 each.
A grave costs between $20 and $30 when buying from council.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Charles Chikozho said council will audit graves at Mtapa Cemetery to find out who owns them.
He lashed out at delears who were making a killing from selling graves.
He said the local authority was looking at council by-laws with a view to punishing those that were charging exorbitant prices to grave seekers.
“The truth of the matter is that as the local authority, we no longer have control of Mtapa Cemetery in terms of the graves there after all of them were bought.
“All the graves there are reserved meaning to say the owners have the right to dispose of them if they feel so. The reason why an individual or family has more than 10 graves is what we want to investigate,” he said. Clr Chikozho said there were about 2 000 remaining graves at Mtapa Cemetery and all of them were reserved.
“While the council no longer has graves at Mtapa Cemetery, we have other cemeteries like Mtasa Cemetery where graves are very cheap. However, most bereaved families want their relatives buried at Mtapa. I don’t understand this prestige that they feel they would have accorded their departed loved ones if they bury them at Mtapa,” he said.
Clr Chikozho said people should desist from making business out of selling graves.
“We condemn such practices as the local authority and we will look into our laws to see if we can protect innocent people who are being fleeced,” he said.
Clr Chikozho said he was not aware of council employees with graves at Mtapa Cemetery.
Sources within the local authority, however said the majority of council workers hoarded graves at the cemetery after realising that there was high demand for burial space at the cemetery.
“The graves were fast running out so many council employees hoarded them and they are now selling them to individuals. Its big business. Some have more than 10 graves which they are selling at $700 each,” said the source.
Online Reporter