18-Month closure ends as Rebecca street Crematorium to resume services

The Rebecca Street Crematorium will reopen on December 2 following 18 months of not operating.

During a public meeting at the Crematorium on November 26, Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya stated that the facility has secured a five-year licence to resume operations.

During her keynote address, Moya expressed her relief for the progress made as the crematorium closure had forced residents to seek a service elsewhere, which caused significant financial and emotional strain.

“As the city, we were entrusted to protect the rights of the community and we violated those rights and we truly apologise. It can never be okay that the government participates in the violation of human rights,” Moya said.

The mayor conducted several meetings with the Rebecca Street Crematorium Committee, consisting of 15 organisations regarding the reopening of the crematorium in March this year.

She said during the engagements she learned a lot, not only about the struggles of the crematorium, but also about the culture surrounding the people of Laudium.

“We want to say that this community can never and must never be inconvenienced in such a manner again. We were told during the engagements that there were community members who had to go all the way to Mogale City.

“That didn’t sit well with me, especially understanding the socioeconomic reality of the residents in the city. We don’t expect everyone to have an extra budget to support the inconveniences, especially those that are caused by government,” Moya said.

The crematorium has since undergone significant refurbishment and upgrades aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

Dr Viniayagra Murthi Sooboo, a well-known community leader in Laudium, who has been working closely with the mayor and fellow stakeholders, said that traditionally, the reopening is a product of divine intervention.

Sooboo also apologised to the community for the crematorium’s prolonged closure.

“We once more want to apologise to our community who suffered the indignity of not having their loved ones cremated here during this past period. We emphasise with many of them and that is why we felt the need to start this committee. It’s no point voicing our anger and frustration to one another but with collective efforts and speaking to the authorities who mattered, this has been possible,” Dr Sooboo said.

He said pressure to reopen the crematorium was great because the majority of the Hindu community prefers using cremation for their final rights. He added that the crematorium also served as a meeting point for several areas.

“I also recall with fondness, growing up as a young person in this area and Marabastad. Accompanying my late uncle who was a priest in the Hindu community, then, this facility was not available. We used to use the old Pretoria Hindu Crematorium which did cremations in a very old-fashioned way. It was only in 1978 that this facility was made available to people of colour. The cremation process is an essential step of guarding the soul from one life to the next,” Dr Sooboo said.

Another community leader, Thushan Padayachee said the crematorium is a natural human right and the stakeholders involved must ensure that the delays that previously occurred, never happen again.

“Many religions have caused war but what we have done through the unification of various cultures and beliefs is brought everyone together. We need to thank all those who provide services for this,” Padayachee said.

Padayachee also paid homage to former mayor Cilliers Brink for “bringing them to the table” regarding budgeting, though accredits the current mayor and supporting organisations for carrying out the plans into fruition.

Councillor Malesela Rakebe of Ward 3 also shared a few words during his vote of thanks, stating that no matter which party is in leadership, service delivery remains the top concern.

“What we should embrace in the city is our diversity, just because certain demographics are not affected by this facility does not mean that their services should be neglected. The people of Laudium have been affected and we are happy that this has been resolved, it’s one issue to scratch off my list,” Rakebe said.

Ward 70 councillor and DA agricultural and environmental management spokesperson, Marika Kruger-Muller said she is also relieved that the facility is back open as residents in the area have suffered without it.

“I do feel that the community was suffering a lot because of the distances that they had to travel. Also, just as the others said, it’s not for one specific religion but going forward I look forward to seeing the changes that are going to happen here and working with this community that has continued to stand together. It’s good to see community members that can stand and work together and with us to ensure services are delivered,” Kruger-Muller said.

The crematorium offers the following services:

– Cremation

– Reopening of a grave for the burial of ashes

– Placement of ashes in the wall of remembrance or ash berm

– Tombstone applications

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