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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
WEST Park Cemetery in Bulawayo will be decommissioned in February next year and councillors called for urgent servicing of Marvel Cemetery.

The council’s health services department has expressed concern over slow progress at Marvel Cemetery as the city council may soon run out of burial space at West Park.

“Burial space at West Park Cemetery is fast filling up and this calls for accelerated progress at Marvel Cemetery as the city may soon face burial space challenges.

“West Park Cemetery records an average of 15 burials per day. It’s estimated that the cemetery will take burials for approximately four more months meaning the cemetery may be decommissioned as early as February 2018,” said the health services department.

The department indicated that the new cemetery holds 4 000 graves instead of the initial 7 392 mentioned earlier on.

“The area west of the old section of West Park cemetery was opened on December 21, 2016 to lessen the burden on over stretched Luveve Cemetery, which was the only burial space left after the initial closure of West Park cemetery towards the end of 2016.

“There were five sections at the extended cemetery and the additional space was estimated to accommodate 7 392 graves. The extension was projected to be adequate for burials for three and half years that meant the cemetery would be in use until mid-2020,” said the health services department.

However, the department added, according to the pegging that was done the cemetery carries about 4 000 graves.

“There were two sections in the cemetery with a combined total of 1 337 which could not be easily utilised as they were located in an area with hard rock which impeded grave production.

“So far only 217 graves have been produced and used in the sections because of the hard surface. In addition to the rocky surface there is a stream which runs through the cemetery.

Ward 29 Councillor Monica Lubimbi said Pumula South cemetery also has an underground rock that affects production of graves.

She said some of the tombstones erected at the cemetery were too big making maintenance of the cemetery difficult.

@pamelashumba1