South Africa Running Out of Burial Plots
The following is an article from CNN.com that a friend sent to me:
AIDS-hit South Africa running out of burial plots
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- AIDS-hit South Africa is running short of cemetery space and residents of its main city, Johannesburg, need to consider "nontraditional" burials, including cremation, Mayor Amos Masondo said on Wednesday.
Masondo said 24 of the city's 35 cemeteries were already at full capacity and, although enough spaces remain for the foreseeable future, other options must now be considered.
"The city would like to make an appeal to residents to consider amongst other options, stack burials and cremations," the SAPA news agency quoted Masondo as saying at the opening of a new cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
South African officials have repeatedly warned in recent years of a looming shortage of burial plots, attributed in part to rapid urbanization and a cultural reluctance among African families to consider options such as cremation.
Masondo suggested that families could begin to double up with "stack burials" at existing, family-held gravesites.
Masondo did not explicitly mention South Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis, which infects about one in nine of the country's adults, but analysts say the epidemic is directly to blame for rising mortality rates in the country.
Masondo urged Johannesburg residents to respect existing graveyards and not to take them over for ramshackle temporary housing.
"Respecting those who are no more can add so much meaning to the land of the living," he said.
Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I don't want to rant about politics, but "When is America going to wake up and realize that there is a problem that we need to assist in that doesn't include the Persian Gulf?" Africa needs help!
It baffles my mind to think that so many people are dying of AIDs, that an entire country is concerned about running out of graveyard plots to buried their dead.
I don't have a simple answer to this major problem, but I do know that I have the power to raise awareness. I need to share the issues that concern the people of Africa, with the people that I come in contact with in my daily life. Enough with the soap box. It has now been put back away in the closet. But consider yourself informed. Thanks.
jb
AIDS-hit South Africa running out of burial plots
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- AIDS-hit South Africa is running short of cemetery space and residents of its main city, Johannesburg, need to consider "nontraditional" burials, including cremation, Mayor Amos Masondo said on Wednesday.
Masondo said 24 of the city's 35 cemeteries were already at full capacity and, although enough spaces remain for the foreseeable future, other options must now be considered.
"The city would like to make an appeal to residents to consider amongst other options, stack burials and cremations," the SAPA news agency quoted Masondo as saying at the opening of a new cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
South African officials have repeatedly warned in recent years of a looming shortage of burial plots, attributed in part to rapid urbanization and a cultural reluctance among African families to consider options such as cremation.
Masondo suggested that families could begin to double up with "stack burials" at existing, family-held gravesites.
Masondo did not explicitly mention South Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis, which infects about one in nine of the country's adults, but analysts say the epidemic is directly to blame for rising mortality rates in the country.
Masondo urged Johannesburg residents to respect existing graveyards and not to take them over for ramshackle temporary housing.
"Respecting those who are no more can add so much meaning to the land of the living," he said.
Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I don't want to rant about politics, but "When is America going to wake up and realize that there is a problem that we need to assist in that doesn't include the Persian Gulf?" Africa needs help!
It baffles my mind to think that so many people are dying of AIDs, that an entire country is concerned about running out of graveyard plots to buried their dead.
I don't have a simple answer to this major problem, but I do know that I have the power to raise awareness. I need to share the issues that concern the people of Africa, with the people that I come in contact with in my daily life. Enough with the soap box. It has now been put back away in the closet. But consider yourself informed. Thanks.
jb
Labels: africa, AIDS, cause for concern
posted by justin at
8:17 PM
1 Comments:
justin. im totally pumped about your journey to the homeland. Love the blog thanks for letting me know about it! (i just read the why 5th graders are awesome and LOVE IT!) as for my blog, i have a personal blog at amberburger, vernon has a personal blog at lovetruthalways and our sudan one is the one you have linked. I write in my personal one about every other day and it often has alot to do with Sudan, but the one we use while we are there is the one you have linked. I will like yours to ours! i am so excited for you and so sorry we didnt get to get together and chat before you went. I will be in KC in (May 15-18) but i am not sure when you leave. Let me know.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home