Source: BCC tightens burial rules as pressure mounts on cemetery space – herald
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has introduced sweeping new cemetery regulations that tighten burial procedures, formalise cremation and exhumation processes.
The policy also regulates conduct at graveyards and impose stricter controls on grave reservations as the city grapples with mounting pressure on burial space.
The comprehensive policy, guided by the Cemeteries Act and the Burial and Cremation Act, comes at a time when Bulawayo’s burial infrastructure is increasingly coming under strain due to population growth, urban expansion and limited land for new cemeteries.
For years, the city has faced recurring concerns over dwindling burial space at older cemeteries, prompting the local authority to gradually phase out some graveyards while expanding others such as Umvutsha Cemetery.
According to the policy document, BCC currently operates two active cemeteries, Luveve and Umvutsha, while older cemeteries classified as closed will only accommodate second interments, reserved graves and tombstone installations.
Council said the new framework seeks to ensure cemetery services are managed “in a respectful, timely and dignified manner” while maintaining burial grounds as “safe and respectful environments for all users.”
One of the major changes introduced under the policy is the tightening of burial schedules and operational procedures.
Council said burials will strictly take place between 8am and 1pm daily, including public holidays, while all bookings must be finalised at least 24 hours before burial.
The city also stressed that cemeteries are not intended to host prolonged funeral gatherings.
“Cemeteries are for committal services, not for funeral services and mourners are to respect time and for that reason back fillers are provided if manpower levels permit; therefore, crowds are discouraged,” reads part of the policy.
The regulations further outline detailed burial procedures requiring families to first obtain burial orders from the Civil Registry Department before approaching funeral parlours or cemeteries for bookings.
Once at the cemetery, a supervisor will allocate a grave number and officially record the burial in the section register.
Council also introduced stricter procedures for burials involving bodies repatriated from outside the country, with all arrangements required to be completed before 4pm on Fridays.
“In all instances, the actual burial should only be allowed to proceed after the production of a valid Zimbabwean burial order,” the policy states.
The city reaffirmed its obligation to provide free burial space for indigent residents under the Cemeteries Act through codified paupers’ burial procedures.
Under the policy, the Social Welfare Department will be responsible for verifying pauper status and authorising such burials, while contracted funeral parlours will handle grave digging and backfilling.
The new regulations also formally incorporate cremation procedures, reflecting changing burial trends in urban centres where cremation is increasingly becoming an alternative due to land shortages and evolving cultural attitudes.
Families wishing to bury ashes at cemeteries such as Athlone or West Park will now be required to notify cemetery supervisors and pay prescribed fees before spaces are allocated.
Council further clarified rules governing second interments, allowing spouses to be buried in the same grave under approved conditions.
“Second interment is allowed under special circumstances subject to application and approval by the Director Health Services,” reads the document.
Council added that “no person shall cause or permit more than two bodies to be placed in any grave unless at the first opening the grave has been made to an extra depth.”
In another significant change, grave reservations will now only be available to surviving spouses, with reservation fees payable every five years.
The city also tightened exhumation regulations, saying exhumations would only be permitted under specific circumstances such as forensic investigations, mistaken burials and repatriation of remains or reburials.
“All exhumations should be done in the presence of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and all other parties involved,” council said.
BCC also placed strong emphasis on discipline and conduct within cemetery grounds.
Residents are prohibited from littering, vandalising graves, climbing on tombstones or soliciting business within cemeteries without council approval.
“No person shall bribe or try to bribe any employee in the service of the Council in regard to any matter in connection with a cemetery or burial, neither with money, gifts, nor any other benefit,” reads part of the regulations.
The city also banned unauthorised vehicles from entering cemeteries except hearses and vehicles transporting infirm persons.
On tombstone installations, council said work would only be permitted from Monday to Friday between 7am and midday after approval and payment of prescribed fees.
For newer cemeteries such as Athlone West and Umvutsha, only headstones will be permitted “to allow for easy and effective maintenance of the cemetery.”
The policy also formalises procedures for the burial of distinguished residents, stating that individuals who made “outstanding contributions to the development of the city” may, upon approval, be buried at either Lady Stanley or Luveve cemeteries.
Council further noted that during pandemics or national disasters, the handling and disposal of human remains would be governed by emergency public health regulations, lessons that became particularly significant during the Covid-19 pandemic when local authorities had to adopt stricter burial protocols.
BCC warned that violations of cemetery regulations would attract penalties.
“Any person violating the provisions of the cemetery policies and procedures shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanour and shall be fined accordingly,” reads the document.
The local authority said it reserved the right to review and amend the policy in response to future operational demands and changing realities in burial service management.
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