Mogale City introduces new burial practices to enhance safety, cemetery maintenance and accessibility

We are pleased to announce that the West Haven Cemetery is now ready to serve the communities of Mindalore and surrounding areas.

As we prepare for its opening, we would like to take the opportunity to inform residents of Mogale City about an important development regarding burial practices at this new facility also applicable at all new sections of the active cemeteries currently managed by the city.

To ensure that the cemetery remains well-maintained, accessible and functioning, the municipality will permit only the installation of vertical headstones on graves.

This new approach offers several benefits, including:

• It makes cemetery maintenance using ride-on lawnmowers, walk-behind lawnmowers or tractors instead of brush cutters
• Saves time, money and labour on upkeep of the cemetery
• Keeps the cemetery clean, neat and aesthetically pleasing, and
• Improved security

Over the years traditional burial practices, which included full tombstones with headstones, concrete or granite slabs, kerbing, and decorative elements were allowed. While these practices hold cultural significance, they have posed considerable maintenance challenges. For example, full tombstones make terrain upkeep more difficult, requiring labour-intensive and costly methods such as brush cutters or time-consuming alternatives like walk-behind lawnmowers.

We understand that this change may be sensitive as it seen to tread on essential community rituals, and this new practice may appear as an enforced approach deviating from these ritualistic practices. For this reason, the Biodiversity Management team will host information sessions to raise engage residents and raise awareness on this approach as per the schedule below: