RATEPAYERS and civic associations have vowed to “fight vigorously” the 50% tariff increase for cremations at eThekwini Municipality crematoriums, which came into effect this week.
However, Gugu Sisilana, spokesperson for the city, said the increase was necessary and they had followed the proper public consultation processes.
“The new tariffs came into effect on Monday, July 1, following a public consultation process and adoption by the council. The increase was 50% and it is necessary to cover the shortfall in operational costs, including the purchase of gas for both council crematoriums. Each cremation is subsidised by the municipality and is by far the cheapest in comparison to the private cremation costs,” she said.
Cremations costs had increased from R750 in 2022 to R1 800 on July 1, after the tariff increase for this financial year.
The municipality also provided indigent cremations at no cost for those who were unable to pay for the cremation of their loved ones, Sisilana said.
The Mobeni Heights and Tongaat crematoriums are owned by the city.
Sisilana added the Mobeni Heights Crematorium, which had operated with one furnace for several years, would undergo an upgrade in the 2024/2025 financial year, including the installation of a new furnace.
The Chatsworth and District Civic Federation (CDCF) and the eThekwini Ratepayers and Residents Association (ERRA) said despite the “good news” of the furnace at Mobeni Heights Crematorium being replaced, they would fight the tariff hike.
Rocky Naidoo, chairperson of the CDCF, said their biggest concern was that the average earning family would not be able to cremate their loved ones due to the high cost.
“We had been receiving poor service from the municipality and they failed to maintain the facility for over 10 years. There had been endless problems and families incurred high travelling costs to cremate their loved ones in Clare Estate, which was the only other crematorium close to the south Durban area. To expect people to pay double the amount is ridiculous,” he said.
Naidoo said he had been inundated with calls from the community, claiming their requests to book a cremation at Mobeni Heights Crematorium had been declined.
He said when he called to book a cremation for a resident who had no family and was from India, he was told that he had to be put onto a waiting list.
“The facility could only cremate up to four bodies a day, due to the furnace not being fully functional after the Covid-19 pandemic. Further to this, attempts to privatize the Mobeni Heights Crematorium by the Undertakers Association was declined by the municipality, yet they continue to fail the people with poor services and high costs,” he said.
Costs at the privately run Clare Estate Crematorium, Naidoo said, was to close to R2 650 per cremation and if the Mobeni Heights Crematorium was not functioning optimally, residents were forced to pay that amount at the private facility.
Ish Prahladh, president of the ERRA, said average and low income families would not be able to pay R1 800 for a cremation when death came knocking at their door.
“We strongly object to this increase. We had close on to 12 000 objections online. This shows that people would not be able to afford the increase. Our suggestions for additional revenue generation seems to fall on deaf ears,” he said.
He said he hoped the new cabinet would make the necessary changes so that the ripple effect that tariff hikes would have on debt would not cripple the City.
“We hope that the new cabinet is not going to just sit and eat the ratepayers money without doing anything. We need gas and solar crematoriums. Mobeni Heights Crematorium is a disaster. Ten years have gone by and there is still only one furnace, which is inadequate to service the people.
“We hope that the City would allow undertakers to take over the crematorium at Mobeni Heights so people can have some relief in that area. But we are still continuing our fight against the tariff hikes. We will make the municipality understand that there are people suffering from depression and are committing suicide because they cannot pay their bills. We know this because we are on the ground and working with the communities. While some may turn to crime, others would turn to suicide through depression. This cannot go on. We vow to fight for the people,” he said.
Dhayalan Moodley, from Moodley’s Funerals, said he felt that the increase was unjustified.
“I must express my shock and disappointment at the increase of 50% for cremations at all municipality crematoriums. I must be honest and admit that the municipality doesn't care for the poor. This increase was unjustified, especially since the Mobeni Heights Crematorium was either dysfunctional or closed for over 10 years. We are joining the civic federations to call for a reduction in the cremation fees,” he said.
Clive Moodley, president of Progressive Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa (Profpa SA), said they too will be joining the call for a reduction in the cremation fees.
“People are not going to be able to afford it. We already help families in need and those who cannot afford it especially in the poor communities. Charging close to private fees. If we privatise it, we would charge about R1300 and we hope the City relooks at their options,” he said.
If the facility was privatised, Moodley said Profpa SA would fit four furnaces which are fully operational and they would operate a 24 hour service.
“We would do private cremations at night and be able to service the communities. We would not charge exorbitant fees,” he said.
The POST