The cultural significance of burial sites among Africans: a case study of Inanda.
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Date
2019
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Abstract
Currently, South Africa is faced with the shortage of burial space to cater for the vast number
of deaths due to a growing older population, increasing communicable and other noncommunicable diseases. It has been announced that most grave sites in KwaZulu-Natal and
the Gauteng Province are full. Efforts by municipalities to use alternative solutions to the
grave crisis were met with firm resistance from cultural and religious groups. Many people
regard cemeteries as more than a place for burial, but of spiritual and cultural significance.
Recently, government authorities have been working timelessly to encourage families to
adopt cremation as a space saving strategy. Cremation is an act of disposing the deceased by
burning the bodily remains. However, cremation is widely rejected and unpopular among the
Zulu people. In the Zulu culture, death is considered as a transition to the afterlife of
ancestors, therefore cremation is seen as contradicting with the Zulu culture and can result in
a curse for the surviving family. The main objective of the study is to determine whether the
community prefers alternative burial methods to the conventional ones. In addition, the study
investigates the influence of culture, and its role in determining the choice of burial method
amongst the Zulu people. For this study data was obtained from face to face in-depth
interviews and key informant interviews. The in-depth interviews and key informant
interviews were held in Inanda Township. The findings of this study suggest that culture and
religion play an important role in determining the manner in which people want their
deceased to be buried. In addition, the Zulu people of Inanda indicated that they were against
the proposed alternatives to burial as they regard them to be disrespectful of the deceased and
their cultural beliefs in the ancestors. The participants emphasized the need for awareness and
education on the scarcity of burial space. The study suggests the need for educating people
about the burial space crisis and the possible alternatives to burial. The study recommends the
involvement of the community in identifying alternatives that will not compromise traditional
and religious beliefs.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.