Cape Town - The Maitland Crematorium has undergone a significant facelift following an R18 million upgrade.
This, as the City pushes for loved ones to consider cremation as cemeteries are filling up fast.
Serving communities as far away as Springbok and the West Coast District, the crematorium is one of the busiest establishments in the Western Cape.
The City said the successful commissioning of two new cremators that satisfy air-emission standards has been completed.
A state-of-the-art Scada Electronic Logging System and a hydraulic coffin lift are two further additions.
This system, which is directly connected to the cremators, keeps track of crucial information including temperature, gas usage, coffin type, cremation durations, and emission measures.
Patricia van der Ross, mayco member for community services and health, said additionally, the expansion of the cold room has increased storage capacity during peak periods, ensuring that the crematorium operates efficiently even during the busiest times.
Over the past financial year, the City recorded a total of 5 830 cremations, compared with 6 104 the previous year.
She said the City’s cemeteries handled a total of 13 777 in-ground burials during the same period – a slight increase from 13 698 in the previous year.
“It is, however, a reality that the availability of suitable land for in-ground burials remains in high demand, and so we encourage residents to consider cremation where it is not prohibited by culture or religion,” Van der Ross said.
Chairperson of the Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa (Fupasa), Raglan Isaacs, praised the improvements, but said more needed to be done to improve dilapidated cemeteries.
“Obviously it’s welcomed, we feel R18m is quite a huge amount to spend on the crematorium while our cemeteries are in such a state that it is.
“That is the feeling amongst undertakers now,” Isaacs said.
Public burials remained the most common, with 6 393 interments, followed by monumental burials at 3 697 and berm burials at 3 687.
Isaacs said: “Culturally our people are more keen to bury than cremating, we spend a lot of time in the cemeteries.”
The City has since observed an increase in the use of niche walls, memorial trees, and benches in addition to cremations and in-ground graves, which indicates a trend toward more customised and constrained monuments.
Van der Ross added that the City’s commitment to meeting every burial requirement with respect and dignity was a fundamental component of its purpose.
She further emphasised that since vandalism at City cemeteries was still a problem, and surrounding communities should assist in maintaining the areas.
Reporting theft or vandalism in progress can be done from a cellphone by calling the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700.
Cape Argus