Cape Town: The Recreation and Parks Department of the City of Cape Town has officially opened an extension at Sir Lowry’s Pass Cemetery. It provided 544 additional burial spaces and this became a new operational section, last month.
Reportedly, planning for the extension at Sir Lowry’s Pass Cemetery began in August 2022 to address the need for burial spaces across the metropole which was followed particularly in the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project has come over several challenges, that also includes securing land-use approval in November 2023 and addressing the environmental conditions such as the removal of aging stone pine trees known as Pinus Pinea, to accommodate the additional burial spaces.
In order to maximise the capacity in the new extension, the burial spaces have been designed as berm graves that allows only vertical headstones or scrolls. It is an efficient layout that ensures optimal use of available space, while maintaining a dignified community environment.
Previously, the cemetery primarily facilitated the re-opening of the private family graves. The extension allows for new burials to ensure that the operations run smoothly. The Recreation and Parks Department has limited the burials in the section to three per day.
The City of Cape Town remains committed to address the burial space challenges. Other similar projects such as the Kuils River Cemetery expansion are currently under process, with environmental authorisation granted in December 2024 and the land use application currently in progress.
Member of the Myoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Patricia Van der Ross said that the opening of the extension at Sir Lowry’s Pass Cemetery is an important step towards addressing the burial space challenges of the area.
The City of Cape Town remains committed to find sustainable solutions by providing dignified and accessible burial options. Ross said that we would like to encourage the residents to plan ahead with their undertakers and consider weekday burials to reduce possible backlogs on applications for making bookings on weekend.
The residents are reminded that the bookings for burials in the new section must adhere to standard procedures and comply with the city regulations for berm grave designs.