Renewed calls for the City of Cape Town to provide land specifically for Muslim burials has been made amid claims of a shortage of space at Klip Road Cemetery.
This follows a viral message which was sent on various chat groups on Sunday night, claiming there were only five burial sites left at the popular Cape Flats cemetery.
In the message, the author blames Susan Brice, the City’s head of cemeteries, for the problem.
“We request the Muslim ummah to keep Susan Brice, head of cemeteries City of Cape Town, responsible to answer why she didn’t make more space available knowing the facts of limited holes for Muslims at Klip Cemetery.
“Being festive, a known fact that more fatalities due to unnatural deaths mortuary cases... Not ensuring more burial space at Klip Cemetery. Grassy Park with currently less than five graves available at Klip Cemetery,” the post reads.
Spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said the City is unable to confirm the number of plots left at Klip Road Cemetery due to time constraints, but added that more space can be made available at Welmoed, Wallacedene, Rusthof and Atlantis cemeteries.
“There are a couple of private Muslim cemeteries namely Pooke Road, Vygieskraal, Strand, Constantia, Brodie Road Wynberg, Stegman Road, Claremont, Tana Baru and Mowbray.
“There are approximately 120 Muslim burials per month and unfortunately it may not always be possible to satisfy preferences to bury close to home, as cemeteries are under severe demand for space by all denominations.”
Tyhalibongo explained that larger City cemeteries such as Welmoed, Rusthof Extension, Wallacedene and Atlantis have more capacity and are available to all religions.
Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) second deputy president, Sheikh Riad Fataar, confirmed the lack of space at City cemeteries has been a problem, but are not pointing a finger at Brice.
“The MJC considers the message to be slanderous towards Susan Brice, who has always worked hard to accommodate the Muslim community.
“The issue of space dates back to 2006 when we made a call for the City to make land available for Muslim burials.”
He said the City had in fact provided 730 additional plots at Klip Road Cemetery this year through discussions with Brice, and in addition, more than 1 000 plots were allocated in the Maitland cemeteries to Muslims.
“An allotment of Muslim burial space was also allocated through the work of Brice at the Rusthof Cemetery only a few weeks ago,” said Fataar, adding that the last time the City had provided land to Muslims for a cemetery was about 100 years ago.
“Research done by the City a long time ago already indicated that there would be a lack of space. It is important to note that for religious reasons Muslims may not be cremated. The call we made years ago was for these reasons,” he concluded.
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