13 Mar 2017

To control and regulate burials, councils establish, designate and identify areas within their jurisdiction as cemeteries, Parliament was told. Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural development Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen said Councils have developed Cemetery Bye Laws to ensure that no person buries or cause to be buried a body in a place other than a cemetery.

Responding to question from Member of Parliament for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy, Mr Van Der Westhuizen said section 44(1) of The Local Government Act, 2012 empowers Councils to make bye laws for maintenance of health, environment, safety and well-being of the inhabitants of an area. “A number of Councils have developed Cemetery Bye Laws to guard against burials in ungazetted areas.

These councils include Central District Council, Francistown City Council, Gaborone City Council, Lobatse Town Council, Kgatleng District Council, Jwaneng Town Council and Selibe Phikwe Town Council,” he said.

The House was also informed that not many cases or incidences of burials in un-gazetted areas had been established and that the ministry would continue to encourage Councils to be more vigilant and enforce the Bye Law to guard against this happening in the future.

MP Billy had asked the minister what his ministry was doing to stop burials in un-gazetted areas.ENDS