Lady Stanley committee proposal rejected

Bulisile Mguni Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO councillors have rejected a proposal to set up a committee to select distinguished residents to be buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery.

In throwing out the proposal, the councillors said the move could delay burials, inconveniencing bereaved families in the process.

The Health, Housing and Education Committee had proposed a three member team made up of the committee’s chairperson Clr Monica Lubimbi, the mayor Clr Martin Moyo and the city’s housing and community services director Isaiah Magagula.

Ward 4 Clr Silas Chigora opposed the move and received the full backing of council.

He argued that the proposed system could delay burials, inconveniencing bereaved families as members of the proposed committee would not always be available to preside over the matters.

According to the latest council minutes, the Health and Education committee’s proposal was then thrown out.

“In view of this, he (Chigora) did not support the recommendation (iv). Instead he said that the status quo should be maintained. Councillors RD Jele, N Sibanda and C Moyo concurred. Councillor S Musonda said that in the past it was the over 80 residents who qualified to be buried in Lady Stanley Cemetery, on the recommendation/request of local residents and the area Councillor. In her view there was nothing wrong with that arrangement. The prevailing view after further discussion, was that an assessment committee as suggested in the committee’s report was uncalled for. The status quo with regards to recommendations for burial at Lady Stanley cemetery be maintained,” reads part of the council minutes.

“Thereafter it was resolved that the following criteria be used in the selection of persons to buried in the prominent and distinguished pioneer residents’ cemeteries: – (i) That the person has resided in Bulawayo for a continuous period of 20 years as a rate payer. (ii) That the person must have made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the community as a whole in one or more of the fields of social activities, listed hereunder, civic matters, education, religious leadership, business leadership, sport, charity, journalism, outstanding, donations (in kind or cash) outstanding trade unionism leadership, invention which benefited the community as a whole and any other outstanding contribution as may be deemed appropriate from time to time.”

The person must also be a spouse of a late eligible person already buried at the cemetery.

Clr Chigora yesterday told The Chronicle that the rejection of the proposal means that an area’s councillor and his or her committee vet those who are to be buried at the cemetery.