Reference: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2012-01-24-crematorium-crisis-in-pietermaritzburg/
Msunduzi Municipality has malfunctioning cremators and this has resulted in half burned corpses being sent to Durban at the eleventh hour to finish the procedure, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The Witness reported that the municipality first faced an ongoing saga of malfunctioning cremators, and then over the festive season a new problem arose — no staff to carry out cremations.
“A time of bereavement should be one of care and consideration for the families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. However, residents of Pietermaritzburg have had to endure the added stress of having to deal with malfunctioning or non-functioning crematoria,” Midland’s Hindu Society public relations officer Sherry Mahabeer said.
“In some cases, people have had to endure the traumatic experience of having to remove half-burned bodies and have the process completed elsewhere. This is not acceptable.”
Residents will hold a public meeting at Aryan Hall on Wednesday to address the municipality’s management of the Mountain Rise Crematorium.
The meeting has been called by the Midland’s Hindu Society — an umbrella body of Hindu religious organisations in the city, and the Msunduzi Rates Forum.