Families await action to restore graves at Durban’s Seaview Cemetery

Families in Seaview, a suburb of Durban, South Africa, are eagerly awaiting a resolution to restore their loved ones' graves at the Seaview Cemetery. Over 25 years ago, informal dwellers took over the cemetery, erecting makeshift homes directly on gravesites. The cemetery, originally established by Indian businessmen in the 1930s as the Seaview Vishnu Cemetery, was meant to be a final resting place for the departed.

In July, Siboniso Duma, the KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, stated that the department was in the process of identifying and relocating the informal dwellers. Duma emphasized the importance of allowing families to reconnect with their loved ones in the cemetery, given that residents were previously forced to leave due to the Group Areas Act.

However, families like the Naickers and Dasses remain optimistic that progress will be made soon. Alan "Choya" Naicker, whose grandfather was buried at the cemetery in the 1950s, expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions and the safety risks posed by the informal dwellings. Lalanthra Dass, whose grandparents and other family members are buried there, also hopes for the cemetery's restoration and maintenance.

Community activist Khaleel Kazi estimated that there were around 400 informal dwellers living at the cemetery. He highlighted that while the Freedom Charter guaranteed people the right to homes, it did not permit building on gravesites. The Department of Transport and Human Settlements in KZN is currently engaged in consultations among three spheres of government to plan, identify suitable land, and allocate resources for the necessary restoration.