WATCH: Metro working on reopening Crystal Park crematorium

There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel concerning the reopening of the Crystal Park Lala Ngoxolo Crematorium, following its closure in 2019.

During a meeting attended by various funeral directors and officials from the Ekurhuleni Environmental Resources and Waste Management Department on September 8, it was revealed that it could take about 12 months for the facility to be fully operational again.

Services at the facility were halted after the crematorium, which is operated by the Ekurhuleni metro, faced serious technical issues with its newly installed cremators, which posed health and safety risks.

Other issues experienced were insufficient gas supply, inferior cremators and cremators that couldn’t accommodate an oversized coffin.

According to metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the facility will reopen as soon as the metro receives the Atmospheric Emissions Licence (AEL), a permit that is required to operate a crematorium issued by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD).

“Recently, cremator two was refurbished hence the application was submitted to GDARD on August 25 and the city is expecting a response within  30 days.”

Metro official Sanelisiwe Mongoai, who was at the meeting, said the metro has decided to fix the existing cremators, however, plans are in place for two new cremators to accommodate bigger bodies.

She said a service provider has been appointed for the refurbishment and installation of the cremators.

Dlamini added that the crematorium, which was opened in 2003, is undergoing renovations, which include refurbishing existing cremators, supply and delivery of new cremators and refurbishment of the coffin cold room at an estimated cost of R9.7 million.

“Renovations are necessary due to the aging and outdated equipment and complying with legislative requirements.”

To ensure that the facility runs smoothly, Dlamini said that the cremator equipment to be procured will be benchmarked with the City of Johannesburg and a maintenance programme is in place, as well as training of crematorium operators.

It was also highlighted during the meeting that the metro has reviewed how crematoriums in Lenasia, Brixton and other areas operate.

In July, the City of Ekurhuleni invited members of the public to comment on the process of applying for an atmospheric emission licence for a crematorium at 13 Springs Road, Crystal Park.

Some of the grievances highlighted by funeral directors during the meeting included the miscommunication between them and the City of Ekurhuleni.

They claimed to have been left in the dark for years, not knowing when the facility will be reopened.

The funeral directors said the closure has affected them because they had to dig deeper into their pockets to book cremations as far away as Witbank, Brixton and Lenasia crematoriums at additional cost.

They asked for backup generators to be installed once the facility is up and running to avoid loadshedding complications.

Also Read: Closure of Crystal Park crematorium a concern

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