Lady stanley filled up

THE Bulawayo City Council says it is looking for alternative burial space for distinguished residents as the designated Lady Stanley Cemetery is running out of burial space.

Recently council said it was receiving over 15 applications per month for Lady Stanley burials leading to a review of the consent criteria. The Lady Stanley cemetery was established to bury distinguished and prominent residents who must have resided in Bulawayo for a continuous period of 20 years as ratepayers.

The person must have made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the community as a whole in one or more fields of social activities such as civic matters, education, religious or business leadership, sport, charity, journalism, outstanding donation (in kind/cash), outstanding trade unionism, leadership inventions benefiting the community and any other outstanding contribution as may be deemed appropriate from time to time.

The person may be a spouse of a deceased person already buried at Lady Stanley under the premise that behind any great man or woman, there is his or her spouse.

Speaking during a council debate, Councillor Shadreck Sibanda said he was concerned that Lady Stanley is fast filling up and distinguished ratepayers will soon not have a dignified burial space in honour of their services to the community.

Earlier on another Councillor Rodney Dube had enquired about the proposed Pumula South Cemetery, which was long gazetted but was still to be used amid indications that the site was very rocky.

In response, Deputy Mayor, Mlandu Ncube, concurred that Pumula South Cemetery had been gazetted but the area was rocky and said proposals had been made to utilise the cemetery to bury children under the age of 12 years, adding that more burial space would be provided.

Cllr Ncube urged residents to minimise burials in urban areas in order to conserve land, which was now a scarce resource. He also encouraged residents to consider cremation and burials in rural areas. A new cemetery for the dignified residents with outstanding works in the city would be established soon, said Cllr Ncube.

Recently, the family of the late radio personality, Ms Elizabeth Makhalisa, who produced and presented the then Radio Two programme ‘Abancane Qha,’ accused council of denying her burial space at Lady Stanley Cemetery.

Council however denied the accusations saying the family failed to provide the required information to support their request.
The local authority said each application is considered on its own merits based on the set criteria.

Makhalisa died on June 29 and was laid to rest at Luveve Cemetery on July 3 although the family wanted to have her interred at Lady Stanley Cemetery. She was 94.