ANCESTRAL burial sites are traditionally regarded as sacred ground, yet more than 400 people have erected informal homes within Seaview Cemetery in Ward 64, some built directly on top of graves.

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The settlement, which has expanded over the past few years, reflects the growing housing crisis and rising unemployment.

Despite government efforts to halt the spread of informal settlements, shack dwellers said they are willing to relocate, provided they are moved to nearby land within walking distance of job opportunities in Clairwood.

Mzosindiso Mtheli, a resident originally from the Eastern Cape, shared his experience of settling in the Seaview Cemetery.

“When I first moved here, my grandmother was already living in this area. I came to Durban looking for work but couldn’t afford to rent a place. Since others had already built shacks in the cemetery, I had no choice but to do the same,” said Mtheli.

While he acknowledges that burial sites are traditionally respected, he believes the lack of available land is a major contributing factor.

“There are still families who come here occasionally to pay their respects to loved ones. We understand that burial grounds are sacred, but we had no alternative. This was the only space close enough to our places of employment,” he added.

Another resident, Mzwabantu Sokapase, originally from the Eastern Cape, admitted to building his shack directly over a grave. He built his house on top of a grave. Although the tombstone has been removed, he said he has never experienced any supernatural occurrences.

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“Sometimes I wonder what will happen when the relatives of the deceased come here to pay their respects. It would be very difficult for me to demolish my house to allow them to perform their ancestral rituals,” he said.

Sokapase said, “The Human Settlements Department should provide us with housing that is not far from Clairwood, because many of us work in the nearby industrial areas.”

A third resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she has been renting a shack in the cemetery for the past three months.

“The owner doesn’t live here. I pay R500 a month because I work in the industrial area nearby,” she said.

Graves dating as far back as the 1940s have reportedly been dismantled to make way for the informal homes. In some instances, graves are located inside shacks, and tombstones have been repurposed as supports for makeshift tables.

Adding to the dangers in the area, live illegal electricity connections crisscross above the shacks.

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These makeshift power lines are tapped from Telkom poles running along the nearby train station. Despite the presence of exposed wires, residents say no electrocution incidents have been reported.

Children as young as five can be seen playing among the shacks, raising further concern about safety and living conditions in the cemetery.

Area committee member Mbongiseni Mazibuko said the eThekwini Municipality has provided mobile toilets to the informal settlement in an effort to prevent sewage spills and other health risks caused by unhygienic conditions.

“It is our hope that the government will intervene and assist these people, as they have settled on a burial site. It’s unfortunate that they have not been able to secure proper housing. However, their presence here affects the beliefs and practises of families who come to pay respects to their departed loved ones,” he said.

According to eThekwini Municipality by-laws, any form of construction or occupation within cemetery grounds is prohibited.

MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma has assigned the head of the department, Max Mbili, working with eThekwini Municipality, to speed up the profiling of these families.

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