Burial Clashes Force City to Impose One-Hour Limit at Cemeteries
BULAWAYO — Tensions at city cemeteries have forced Bulawayo officials to impose a strict one-hour limit on burials, following clashes between mourners over delayed funeral schedules.
The directive was announced through the city’s MasiyePhambili newsletter, where Chamber Secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou urged families to strictly observe their allocated time slots.
“It was prudent for families to adhere to booked times for burial. On average, a burial must not exceed one hour at the cemetery.
“Most of the speeches should be done during church services,” she said.
The move comes after complaints that some funeral parlours were harassing mourners when one group’s extended burial rites disrupted the next scheduled service.
The issue has sparked concern among city officials, prompting calls for tighter enforcement of burial timeframes.
Director of Health Services, Dr Edwin Mzingwane, confirmed that councillors and management had reached consensus on the need to regulate cemetery operations more strictly.
Ward 10 Councillor Khalazani Ndlovu said delays were increasingly leading to confrontations.
“Residents should be encouraged to start burial programmes very early to accommodate all the speakers and the last rites that families would love to give to their deceased relatives.
“Time conflicts at cemeteries should be avoided,” she said.
Councillor Royini Sekete added that some ceremonies were being rushed due to time constraints and urged families to begin proceedings earlier in the day.
Bulawayo by-laws prohibit any burials after 1p.m.
According to figures published by The Chronicle, 480 burials were conducted across eight cemeteries in Bulawayo during June 2025, along with five cremations.
Luveve Extension Cemetery recorded the highest number at 249, followed by Umvutshwa with 136 and Luveve Old with 74.
Other cemeteries saw significantly fewer burials, with Athlone recording six, Luveve Number 3 four, and West Park nine.
Lady Stanley and Hyde Park cemeteries each recorded just one burial.
City officials are now urging residents to respect the one-hour limit to avoid congestion and ensure smooth transitions between funeral services.
-iHarare
