SEDIBENG.- Calls are mounting for the closure of Emfuleni Local Municipality’s (ELM) ‘newly opened illegal cemetery’ based at the Rietspruit/Kaalfontein Plots behind Westsidepark, outside Sebokeng.

Sedibeng Ster recently reported, under the headline: ‘Illegal’ Emfuleni cemetery a pain for farmers and residents alike, that residents and farmers at the Rietspruit/Kaalfontein plots are angry about a newly opened cemetery that they claim is illegal.

The burial ground is located on the road to Fochville, just outside Westsidepark, and falls under the authority of the ELM.

Local farmers stated the site is on land designated for agriculture under local land use management and argue that a proposed cemetery in the area was previously closed by the municipality in 2008 after being ‘flagged’ around 2005.

The community told Sedibeng Ster that they are concerned about severe water contamination because the area has a high underground water table and residents rely entirely on borehole water. They also said that no environmental studies were carried out, they were never consulted, and the municipality has ignored their written letters.

Through its ward candidate, ActionSA has entered the fray.

Bafana Mavuso, ActionSA Ward 25 Candidate Councillor, said the concerns of the residents and farmers are legitimate and serious.

According to Mavuso, the following issues are of serious concern and carry much more serious implications for both the ELM and the residents:

•            The cemetery was established without any proper, meaningful consultation with the affected community despite the area being declared an agricultural hub.

•            Residents who rely on borehole water were not shown any Environmental Impact Assessment or Geotechnical tests.

•            The area is known to be waterlogged with a high water table, raising a severe risk of water contamination.

•            Burying residents in these conditions is undignified and unsustainable.

Mavuso added that a similar proposal was flagged and closed around 2005/2008 for the same reasons.

ActionSA Sedibeng demands that all burials at the cemetery be suspended, all environmental authorisations be re-released for public scrutiny, and a proper public participation be convened.

“They must consider an alternative, suitable land that doesn’t threaten food security and water safety. We will be writing to the municipal manager and escalating the Gauteng Provincial Legislature through our Members of Provincial Legislature if the burial continues without compliance. Traditionally and morally, you cannot bury people in an area without properly consulting its occupants.”

When questioned about the cemetery earlier, ELM spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni said the land belongs to the municipality and all the requirements had been met before the cemetery was opened to the public.