lusaka City Council (LCC) Public Relations Manager Mulunda Habeenzu has revealed that Ministry of Lands is in the process of identifying land for Lusaka’s burial site .
Recently, there have been heightened calls to consider the option of cremating the dead owing to a critical shortage of burial space in Lusaka the Capital city of Zambia by some interested stakeholders.
So far the two cemeteries in the city, Chingwele and Leopards Hill, are almost running out of burial space and LCC is facing a serious challenge of finding an alternative burial site.
Some Proposals have been made by some stakeholders on need for a cultural shift from burying the dead to cremation in an effort to address the shortage of burial space.
LCC Public Relations Manager Mulunda Habeenzu also said the issue of cremation should not trigger any discussion now because it was recently addressed by the local authorities.
Mulunda said cremation in Zambia is not illegal according to the Local Government Act and those who want cremation are at liberty to do so because at the moment there is no law that forbids anyone from cremating the dead in Zambia.
The LCC Public relations Manager explained that although cremation is not illegal in Zambia, LCC has not said it will start cremating people in Zambia’s capital city to address the shortage of burial space.
He further noted that Lusaka mayor Wilson Kalumba on the issue of cremation only said those who want to be cremating the dead they can take the option because it’s not an offence in Zambia.
Mulunda disclosed that long before the mayor went to the LCC Offices to discuss the matter, the cultural and religious attachment to cremation was addressed and the council still gave its guidance that it was not illegal to those who may opt for it.
“Ministry of Lands is identifying land for Lusaka’s burial site and cremation is not illegal in Zambia” Mulunda said
If land is found,let there be a minimal levy charged by the council so that there’s a little amount left for LCC.We always respect our departed souls and payment for burial site is always a priority.
Impanga ubukulu mu Zambia
Zambia has an area of 752,614 square kilometers (290,584 square miles) and a total land boundary of 5,664 kilometers (3,520 miles).
17 129 318 -Current population
8 586 483 – Current male population (50.1%)
8 542 829 – Current female population (49.9%)
233 490 – Births this year
1 022 – Births today
55 582 – Deaths this year
243 – Deaths today
2647 – Net migration this year
12 – Net migration today
175 270 – Population growth this year
777 – Population growth today
Nikushoka chabe!
They just have that plan of cremating the dead Ba Kalumba.