Bulawayo City Council has said West Park Cemetery will be decommissioned at the end of March and that the few remaining graves would cater for children only. Latest full council minutes state that West Park had the most burials, 182 in January, while Lady Stanley had one.
BY TALENT GUMPO
The city has six cemeteries — Luveve Old, Luveve Extension, Luveve 3, West Park, Hyde Park, Athlone, and Lady Stanley.
West Park Cemetery was closed in 2016 after running out of burial space, but was re-opened by the local authority targetting land reserved for offices and funeral parlours.
According to the minutes, council has recently applied for the development of Athlone Cemetery as an upmarket cemetery.
“Central government had gazetted the cemetery; considerations were being made to change it from upmarket to a general cemetery.
“Athlone extension has more than 4 000 graves and it would cater for adults,” read the minutes.
Other cemeteries set to be opened are Marvel Cemetery and Pumula South.
