March 23, 2006
By Thabang Mokoka
THE Waterval Cemetery on Allandale Road in Midrand has been officially opened. It is the first new burial ground opened in Johannesburg for nearly a quarter of a century.
In Joburg's Region 1, the 200ha cemetery has space for 440 000 burials and should provide burial space for about 50 years.
According to Peter Mokale of the Holiness Church of Christ in Alexander, the new cemetery means that people will be able to be buried near their homes. "Loved ones will be able to visit their dearly departed and they can come and pray without a hassle."
Waterval is close to the greater Sandton and Alexandra areas, but if people from Soweto wish to be buried in Waterval, "their wish will be gladly accommodated", says City Park's senior manager for stakeholder liaison, Oscar Oliphant.
The new cemetery will ease the demand for burial space in the eastern and northern parts of the city. Before it opened, residents were often forced to travel long distances to bury loved ones or had to opt for reburials or second burials, where a grave is reopened for another burial.
Burial space is becoming scarce in Joburg – hence the need of new cemeteries such as Waterval. However, the last new cemetery to be developed in Johannesburg was Avalon, in Soweto, in 1972. With this in mind, City Parks set aside R20-million for new cemeteries.
Speaking at the launch of Waterval in August 2005, the then City council speaker, Nandi Mayethula-Khoza, said that the R20-million included "a comprehensive road network, stormwater, sewer and irrigation systems, lighting, landscaping and demarcation of grave sites, ablution facilities, fencing, signage, security and construction of an administration block".
Waterval is expected to provide grave space for the next 50 years, based on current burial trends and excluding reburials.
"We have no statistics on the causes of death," Oliphant says – the only figures available are whether the death was natural or unnatural. "Population growth and burial trends determine burial space."
He adds that in general people prefer burials and reburials to cremations, depending on the religious faith or family preference of the deceased. The number of cremations has not increased.
As grave space has dwindled, more people are considering second burials, as they become aware of this option.
At Waterval Cemetery, 20 hectares have been set aside for a private cemetery with its own management. A further 20 hectares have been earmarked for Muslim burials. The remaining land, 160 hectares, is a regional cemetery under the management of City Parks.
However, City Parks is also planning a heritage section. "We have identified a portion of the Waterval Cemetery where high profile people would be buried or where their ashes would be interred."
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