The City of Tshwane provides burial space at municipal cemeteries in various regions and a crematorium service at its crematorium in Pretoria West.

The following burial methods are available:

• Burial

This is also known as internment. It is a method of final disposition whereby a deceased body is placed into a casket or coffin and then buried under the ground.

• Reopen

This refers to an existing grave. It means burying a new deceased body on top of an old one. Some graves can allow two bodies, while others accommodate a maximum of three bodies.

• Cremation

This is a method of final disposition of a deceased body by means of burning. The process entails using intense heat to turn the remains of a person who has died into ashes. The crematorium is located in Rebecca Street, Pretoria West.

FUNERAL BOOKINGS

Funeral bookings are mostly arranged by undertakers, personally or by telephone. The details are then recorded in the funeral booking register. After submitting all the required documents, the funeral undertakers are granted permission to use a grave.

Burial booking or application

A burial order must be submitted to the relevant cemetery office by a representative from the family or undertaker. The responsible representative must specify and confirm the type of burial, and whether it is a new grave or a reopened grave. Forms will be issued for the representative to submit.

The burial order will be inspected to ensure that it is fully completed and contains the following details:

• Date of death
• Address
• Gender
• Responsible next of kin (signed)

The cemetery office will then inspect the forms to ensure that they are completed in full and that the following details were supplied:

• Name and surname of the deceased
• Address of the deceased
• Coffin sizes
• Burial date (during the week or over the weekend)
• Name and surname of the reservation certificate holder

Payments

After the cemetery office representative has completed the inspection, a statement is completed and signed by the undertaker or family in triplicate and given to the family or undertaker for payment at a municipal pay point.

When completing the statement, the cemetery office representative will include the tariff code and the amount for the payment.

After the payment is made, the stamped statement (now a receipt) is returned to the cemetery office. One copy is kept by the payment office, another is kept by the family, and the final copy is kept by the cemetery office.

Grave allocation

After the payment is made, the undertaker or family representative will return the receipt to the cemetery office. A grave will then be allocated in accordance with the amount paid, and payment will be verified to ensure that the amount is correct in accordance with the applicable tariff.

Grave numbers

The grave numbers are allocated at the cemeteries at the time of booking.

Tombstone

A person who applies for the erection of a tombstone must fully complete the tombstone construction application form and sign it.

Payment

The cemetery office representative must complete a statement in triplicate for payment at the municipal offices. After the payment is completed, the applicant returns to the cemetery with the receipt.