THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is locked in negotiations with a private property developer, Hawkflight Construction, for a piece of land in Lower Rangemore as it seeks to open new cemetery. The council is trying to cope with increasing demand for burial space in the country’s second largest city.
REPORT BY SHERYLEEN MASUKU OWN CORRESPONDENT
The BCC previously leased the land to Hawkflight Construction for the development of residential properties, but tests proved that the land was only suitable for farming or as a grave site.
According to the latest council minutes, the local authority noted that there was an urgent need to identify new cemetery sites that could be developed as soon as possible to alleviate shortages of burial space in the near future.
The council has since offered 800 high-density residential stands to Hawkflight Construction in exchange for the 52 754 hectares of land located in Lower Rangemore, “in order for the land to be turned into a cemetery”.
The latest report states that the piece of land in question had been set aside as a cemetery site in terms of the operative Bulawayo master plan, but it was not clear how the local authority later leased it to Hawkflight Construction.
Hawkflight Construction director Mngane Ncube confirmed the development yesterday, adding the local authority leased the land “without realising that it was a proposed cemetery”.
“Upon realising that the land had no use other than for burials or farming, I considered turning the land into a private cemetery before the city fathers came with their offer,” he said. “They said they would connect our houses to their sewer and water reticulation in exchange for the land. As a result, I agreed to sell them the land.”
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Ncube, however, said the council had not yet informed him of its final decision regarding the proposed land swap.
According to the local authority’s projections, the new cemetery is likely to have a lifespan of nearly 20 years.
“At an average rate of burial of 500 people per month, this site was expected to have a life span of 17 to 19 years,” reads the minutes.
Meanwhile, council has approved the establishment of another private cemetery in the city which will provide 100 000 graves.
The 100-acre stand was previously zoned for residential and ancillary uses.
