{
  "id": 18970477,
  "title": "WATCH: Seven North Coast communities oppose proposed cemetery and crematorium",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/watch-seven-north-coast-communities-oppose-proposed-cemetery-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-11-08-watch-seven-north-coast-communities-oppose-proposed-cemetery-and-crematorium/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Residents of seven communities in the La Mercy area have voiced their opposition to a proposed memorial park and crematorium. The residents raised concerns about lack of consultation, traffic issues, safety concerning liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), emissions, and the potential impact on future investments. The Coastal Joint Task Team (CJTT), a group of residents opposing the development, challenged DA Ward 58 councillor Geoff Pullen during a public participation meeting. The residents questioned Pullen regarding the handling of the project and alleged that he had known about the development since 2023 but had not held any public meetings to inform the affected residents.\n\nThe development is planned on former sugar-cane land near King Shaka International Airport, opposite the N2 highway. While the crematorium is part of the second phase of the project, which is currently in the draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report stage, residents were surprised to learn that the first phase had already been approved. Anand Desai, a representative of the CJTT, stated that not a single resident from the affected area supports the project.\n\nThe opposition to the development is not merely about rejecting the project; it is also about the perceived unequal approach to investment and infrastructure along the coastline. Desai pointed out that the area could not attract tourism, commercial investment, or residential development if a large cemetery and industrial-scale crematorium were built there. The communities surrounding the proposed site include residential neighborhoods, farms, three informal settlements, and expanding housing developments. They also pointed out the area's proximity to schools, such as Seatides Combined School and Crawford North Coast, as reasons to scrutinize the development more closely.\n\nDesiree Singh, a resident of Desainagar who lives on Park Avenue, expressed her concerns about LPG tankers passing by her home. She claimed that residents only discovered the proposal after a community member spotted a notice while riding a bicycle through the sugar-cane fields. Desiree highlighted the steep gradients, speed bumps, and sharp bends on the proposed access road, questioning whether articulated vehicles carrying LPG could safely navigate the route. She also raised concerns about the impact on road safety, potential consequences of an accident involving a gas tanker, and the danger radius of 361 meters with a 50% casualty rate.\n\nResidents are worried about the development's impact on the area's appeal to future investors, tourism operators, and homebuyers. Desiree Singh criticized the development for serving wealthier communities, stating that Umdloti had recently received two malls while the proposed area was only getting a crematorium to service the wealthy.",
  "summary": "Residents from seven La Mercy-area communities have objected to a proposed 33,800-grave memorial park and six-unit crematorium, citing consultation, traffic, LPG safety and emissions concerns.",
  "key_points": [
    "Seven North Coast communities oppose proposed cemetery and crematorium.",
    "Residents raised concerns about consultation, traffic, safety, emissions, and future investments.",
    "Opponents question handling of project, alleging knowledge since 2023 without public meetings."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}