The Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth was temporarily shut down before it posed environmental health risks to the surrounding community after the furnaces malfunctioned. 

The eThekwini Municipality has now allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces and to give the entire facility a facelift, said eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba, who visited the facility on Tuesday.

He assured the community affected by the closure that the municipality is accelerating the process of restoring it. 

Xaba said he saw firsthand the challenges at the crematorium, which was closed three weeks ago due to the furnaces’ malfunctioning, as they were prone to overheating, resulting in high emissions. 

To remedy the situation, the municipality has started the process of procuring two furnaces, which will be installed by the end of August 2025. 

Xaba has pleaded for patience from the affected communities, stating further that he will monitor the repairs closely to ensure that the facility is back to its full operations.

Sunitha Maharaj, representing the Minority Front in eThekwini, commended Xaba for visiting the crematorium and seeing firsthand the challenges staff face.

She said the communities are calling for the privatisation of the crematorium because the municipality has allegedly failed to fix the furnaces and renew the Air Emission Licence.

“Concerned residents are also calling for the commissioning of the crematorium in Phoenix, which has been approved. There is no political will to relieve the pressure off Clare Estate Crematorium and make good on the promises to the community of Phoenix and surrounding areas,” Maharaj said. 

Rocky Naidoo, chairperson of the Chatsworth and District Civic Federation, who has been vocal about getting the crematorium functional, said budgets were passed going back to 2003 to fix the crematorium, but problems persist, exaggerated in the last 10 years.

He said transportation costs for families to Cato Ridge and Clare Estate crematoriums were expensive. 

“There are a select few people in Durban who can repair and install incinerators, but they were not used. We wait to see if this is an empty promise. The municipality is encouraging cremations instead of burials because there is a lack of space, yet they are derailing the process by not having functioning facilities,” Naidoo said. 

Xaba added that processes are also at an advanced stage to repair the oThongathi Crematorium as the municipality reprioritised R7 million for the replacement of furnaces. 

“We anticipate completing the work at the oThongathi Crematorium by the end of next month,” he added.  

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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