18 Mar 2015

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, has told Parliament that she was aware that Monarch Phase 5 cemetery in Francistown were full and closed within a short space of time.

She said she was also aware of the challenges posed by underlying hard rock layer at Gerald Estates cemetery, which made excavation of the graves difficult. Ms Tshireletso indicated that, the newly proposed cemetery had a lot of underground water that made the graves become waterlogged when dug.

She said  in order to utilise the areas of the cemetery that were not affected by these conditions, her ministry through the Francistown City Council, had separated the cemetery into two operational areas; the Block 1 cemetery, which catered for adults and block 6 cemetery that catered for the burial of infants and children.

The assistant minister stated that in both these cemeteries, excavation could only be carried out using excavating machines and compressors. Ms Tshireletso further said despite the unavailability of land in the surroundings of the graves, the Francistown community continued to bury in both Block 1 and Block 6 cemeteries.

Under the circumstances, she said council would continue to use the existing cemeteries while at the same time engage the surrounding Local Authorities for possible allocation of land to be used as cemetery.

Ms Tshireletso was responding to a question from MP for Francistown West, Mr Ignatius Moswaane who had asked the minister if she was aware that Monarch and Phase 5 cemeteries in Francistown were filled and closed within a short space of time.

MP Moswaane also wanted to know if the minister was aware that Gerald Estates cemeteries were not being used currently due to hard rock/layer under the ground and that the newly proposed cemetery has a lot of underground water that usually fills up the graves immediately after they had been dug.

He also wanted to know that if so, what the minister would do to assist the Francistown community so that they could bury their deceased in a respective manner. ENDS