LUSAKA residents should change their mindset and start considering other means of disposing the bodies of the dead such as cremation because Lusaka has run out of land for new graves, Lusaka mayor Wilson Kalumba has said.
Speaking during the first quarter plan presentation for Lusaka City on Thursday, Mr Kalumba said while the challenge of looking for land for the new gravesite was a government responsibility, the city currently had no land to rest the dead.
Mr Kalumba said cremation was being practiced in most parts of Europe where families were having their relatives cremated adding that there was nothing wrong with the practice culture being introduced in Lusaka.
He wondered why people insisted on burring their relatives when the graves were not even maintained.
“The state of the graves in Lusaka is regrettable. People do not maintain their relatives’ graves and the grave yards are not even presentable. In fact, some people cannot even locate where they buried their relative hence the introduction of cremation will also improve the outlook of the city,” Mr Kalumba said.
He announced that should government find land to allocate for the burring of the dead, it would be in another district and that cremation would be a cost of the family.
“Currently there is no land in Lusaka hence if we have to have another gravesite, it will be in another district and families will spend a lot of money on transport bearing in mind the crowds Zambian funerals pull to the grave. Funerals will not be manageable by most families, “Mr Kalumba said
He said the graveyard in another district would also affect productivity as people would need a whole day away from work in order for them to attend a funeral.
He suggested that people should start including how they would want their bodies disposed in their last will and testament claiming that cremation would not be such a bad idea.
Mr Kalumba said it was evident that Lusaka had run out of burial space and that graves were now being squeezed in attempts to find space to bury the dead.
why bury bodies
Cremate them all
Zambian are backwards, why misuse land by burring a body?
we must all be cremated
Thanks
BB2014,16
If the body is burned there won’t be any ressurrection. So please just find land or use the ‘double-decker’ BURRYING method like they do in England. We all want to ressurrect at the second coming of Jesus, afterall we Africans pray the hardest. It would be hard for the ashes to reconstitute. God created man from mad not ashes.
Analyser don’t you mean mud?
Where is that Wilson Kalumba from?? In Luapula province we don’t tolerate insulting the dead or dying. Kumutumina akalumba. Where is cremation site, at Lusaka City market? Where will people get firewood?
Let’s see what they will do to Wilson’s body, lesa ni Malyotola.
One small problem, all the humans moved to Lusaka a place you can only get bread crumbs. No wonder why that place will always be FILTHY DIRYT.
Me l have no comment. It’s taboo in my culture and tribe to discuss DEATH in Public.
We Zambians no matter where are today must accept and admit we have no system/solutions nor a Government for that matter in our country because if we did, such issues could have been a priority.
All our leaders who knew what and when to do what are long DEAD. What we have today are ‘under fives’ who know nothing hence the situation we’re in.
very Stupid… laziness and poor planning lusaka and surrounding areas have idle land owned by few selfish individuals most of them Bazungus, why cant u de-gazete that land and use it for such
Deal with street vendors and Mr Mwila first.
Start by exhuming Sara’s remains, cremate them and dump them in a toilet in Chimbokaila. I mean, imagine the radiation his toxic remains are causing to the Lusaka water table, colossal!
Who is Sara?
NOOOOOOOO Your worship mr mayor, Zambia in general have abandace of land which are idle. we can`t compare our population to nigeria or ethiopia, not even south Africa. The problem we zambians have is IFYAKUKOPELA. And if i think carefully, i am made to think that some of these suggestions are of certain believe that can not be mentioned here which you are trying to promote. It doesn`t matter how educated you may be your worship, please try to save citizens caulture and belief. It defines us who we are, Zambians and not Indians,Christians and not Indus Why you go to nigeria and learn how they have managed that problems of that magnitude.Honestly mr mayor, i doubt your RELIGION!
Way to go.
A Christian nation?? How are you looking at the belief of resurrection?? Can the ministry f religious affairs shade some light on the issue of cremation in relation to Christianity?
When you bury a body, it rots i.e. it disintegrates. what is the difference with cremation? What about the Christians who were eaten by lions, no resurrection for them. Let us not get caught up in the “material” world.
Shed not shade
Cremation is the way forward! You can sound religious for now since you still have some land to misuse. Be practical!
it’s just bad planning. How does a country with such small population density (only 15 million) run out of burial sites? His worship should tour Rwanda, Burundi to learn how they manage
This This is a sign that you have failed you useless mayor. The pf have failed this country hence people are dying like flies. With increased poverty and declining life expectancy now you ask people to do away with their tradition of burying full intact bodies. It is unafrican to cremate . Please do us a favour and cremate lungu while Alive
How does Lusaka run out of land when Paris hasn’t? Which city is bigger? Poor planning seems to be the only answer
Another nicompoop. Graveyard maintainance is a responsibility of the city council, sir. And the council was well organized with issuing plot numbers that were orderly, premarked, with access footpaths, graveyards would look that filthy. But usually there is no single officer at the graveyard. And now this Mayor is passing down the blame. Your worship, go and learn grave yard Adminstration and Management from the private grave sites. Do not begin to show signs of failure this early!
Poor planning. A reminder cadres can’t allocate land. Zed ubututu. Save land by building skyscrapers. In developed countries a developer pays more to build a skyscraper the cost is land is nothing they charge you based on what they call gross floor area (GFA). In zed we don’t even know that ask a zed civil engineer he will tell you nonsense. How can a city with less people than Soweto in South Africa run out of cemetery space? Ku Zed ubupuba
Useless people how do the manage in places like Holland where land is scarce…you have *****s who are taking land….land that was reserved for burial over the years has been snatched by fooolish cadres.
Alternative is to repartriate the bodies to their original villages. There’s plenty of land in rural areas
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As Christians we follow the teachings of Christ and the Bible. Our Lord Jesus was not cremated.We heard that Zambia will be governed on ten commandments or on the principles of the bible as a christian nation but where are we getting this belief? we are not Hindus and we shall never be.may our good GOD deliver our mayor. Ecclesiastes 5 verses 6
Your White Jesus is a lie…wake up from your docility about research about self.
Am sure each one of us has the village where we come from.
Comment:Let him start with his family first. Example first iwe ka mayor
This is a practical issue. Its the haphazard town planning and all the anarchic sharing of land all over the place that has made it appear as if there is a shortage of land for burials. Encouraging cremation in itself is not a bad idea, but it is not true that we have run out of land. We have run out of control!