Alleged grave recycling and shallow burials at Chatsworth cemetery

A PHOENIX family has raised alarming concerns about burial practices at Mobeni Heights Cemetery in Chatsworth after discovering their mother was buried in what appears to be a shallow grave.

Their experience, combined with another family's claim that their parents' grave was reallocated without permission, has sparked fears of grave recycling and improper burial practices at the facility.

Helen Soobramoney, of Phoenix, said her mother had passed on three weeks ago.

She said they had a family grave site which had been leased to them for 10 years and when they went to inspect it ahead of her mother’s burial, they noticed that the wrong grave had been opened.

She claimed that after the grave diggers were dispatched to dig up the right grave, they noticed that it was “very shallow” compared to how it was usually dug up.

Soobramoney said her family were already traumatised by the death of her mother, and that they suffered further trauma when workers at the cemetery told them that they would have to hurry with their final goodbyes as they were closing early.

“It was September 23, and a day before the public holiday. We could not understand why they were closing early when the public holiday was only the next day.

“The employees told us that we had to be done with the funeral before 3pm so that they could cover the grave with concrete to prevent the dogs and cats from digging up the grave and eating my mother’s body.

“We were in shock when they said this. We did as we were told, hesitantly. We could not help but notice that my mother’s coffin was just at the surface of the grave. The last time the grave was used was 19 years ago when my sister passed and 27 years ago for my dad. So, there should have been space to dig deeper. 

“There was no caring or empathy from the staff when we questioned them. We are concerned about heavy rains washing up the coffin if it was not buried at the correct depth.

“We are unable to check on the grave often because we live in Phoenix. We do not know if cats  and dogs are really digging up the graves. The workers should have used their discretion when giving us that information. 

“Our family grave has been paid up until 2035 but we suspect that it was used by another family without our consent,” Soobramoney added.

Another family from Johannesburg, who lived in Chatsworth before relocating, said they had a similar experience and were waiting for over six years for feedback from the municipality regarding their complaint about recycling of graves.

Former Crossmoor resident, Saroj Govender, said her parents were both buried in the same grave at the Mobeni Heights Cemetery. 

She said they were gobsmacked when they visited her parents' grave and found a wooden tombstone with the name “Buthelezi” on it.

“We leased the grave for about R750 for every 10 years. In 2018. My brother went to the grave and saw that it had been used by another family. The staff did not give him answers instead there was finger pointing and no proper feedback. Eventually he got details of an attorney acting on behalf of the Buthelezi family.

“We questioned how someone could be buried there without our permission, as the lease was still paid for. We set up a meeting with the attorneys and they wanted us to pay the legal costs involved in exhuming their loved ones body and placing it in the correct grave,” she added.

She said the Buthelezi family had refused to “disturb their ancestors” and then demanded R1 million from them to exhume the body.

“We asked for a second meeting to negotiate a way forward, but they never pitched. We have published our story in newspapers, complained numerous times and have a pile of reference numbers, but there has been no proper feedback over the last eight years,” she added.

Govender said they stopped going to pay their respects at their parents grave.“Usually, we would go to the grave on our parents’ birthdays and on special days. Now we are not even sure if their remains are still there, or if their bodies were removed and discarded to make space for others,” she said.

“Now, if someone in our family passes away, we have no option but to cremate them. That would be the safest route. But then we would have to go to the Clare Estate Crematorium because the one at the Mobeni Heights Crematorium is not functional.

“For years the buck was being pushed from one person to another. Who do you go to? Who will be accountable?” Govender asked.

Community leader and executive member of the Havenside Civic Association, Rocky Naidoo who assisted the Soobramoney family with their complaint, said he was concerned about the allegations of grave recycling.

“We call on the municipality to investigate these claims and ensure that the recycling of graves comes to a halt,” Naidoo added.

THE POST