Residents, council clash over new cemetery site

By The NewsDay | Jul. 4, 2019 | 1 Min read

Mutare City Council and residents are at loggerheads over the establishment of new cemeteries in the middle of suburbs, which they say would devalue their properties.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

Mutare City Council and residents are at loggerheads over the establishment of new cemeteries in the middle of suburbs, which they say would devalue their properties.

This was revealed at a Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) Mutasa South constituency meeting on Tuesday.

Mutasa South constituency covers some parts of Mutare City Council’s low-density suburbs.

Addressing Mutasa Rural District Council officials, area MP Regai Tsunga (MDC Alliance) and other stakeholders, Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi said the council had run out of burial space and where it had found space for new burial sites it has faced resistance from residents. “We are running out of burial space. Recently we identified a new burial space in Fern Valley, but residents protested, claiming this will devalue their properties,” he said

“So other residents in Mutare are also saying so (protesting), but we are still hoping that we are going to have a new burial site in Mutare,” he said

Yeovil and Dangamvura cemeteries are reportedly running out of space for burials. United Mutare Residents Ratepaters Trust programmes manager Edson Dube urged the local authority to fully engage residents.

“These are topical issues and residents should always be fully engaged in such issues. I don’t believe they have done so. This is our city and we are ready to talk to the local municipality,” he said.