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Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
CHURCHES and other organisations with reserved burial space adding up to about 1 585 graves at Bulawayo cemeteries will now be required to pay for the space or surrender it back to the city council.

According to the latest council minutes Muslims, Jews, Guta Ra Mwari, Anglicans and the Zimbabwe National Army have reserved burial space at Athlone, Hyde Park and West Park cemeteries.

According to the minutes, traditionally, religious and other groups who preferred their members to be buried separately got reserved space, but they were not required to pay fees to reserve the graves.

Bulawayo town clerk Mr Christopher Dube said it did not make business sense to allow the organisations to keep burial space for free while potential buyers failed to bury their loved ones.

“It should be noted that council allocated these spaces at no cost to the communities while individuals requesting reservations for graves paid and renewed the reservations every five years. Current council policy is that a grave reservation could only be made for a surviving spouse. The current rate for grave reservation was $43 per grave renewable every five years,” he said.

It was noted that the rate of burials at cemeteries varied greatly.

“Guta Ra Mwari had one burial two years ago and their space had not been used since. Council needed to review the utilisation of burial space to its advantage and for the convenience of the bereaved who needed to dispose of their loved ones immediately,” he said.

The town clerk said council had resolved that organisations and groups with burial spaces must pay for the graves to continue reserving them or risk losing the space.

“Currently there are sections at Athlone and West Park with spaces for Greeks and Jews (Athlone) and Muslims, Guta Ra Mwari, Anglicans and the Zimbabwe National Army (West Park). There was also a small portion for Muslims at Hyde Park cemetery,” read the council minutes.

“At Athlone Jews have 210 graves while Greeks have 100. At Hyde Park Muslims have 30 reserved graves while ZNA has 40. West Park Cemetery which was shut down last year due to space shortages has 530, 240, 220 and 215 reserved graves belonging to Muslims, Anglicans, ZNA and Guta Ra Mwari respectively.” — @thamamoe