The big burial vs cremation debate

For years, culture has been at the very heart of the African way of living, influencing to a large extent decisions of almost every aspect of life, including burying the dead.

Leaders, cultural practitioners and the ordinary people have over the years demonstrated unshaking passion about how and where to bury their loved ones, hence it is not surprising that the emergence of practices like cremation has stirred the hornet’s nest.

In recent years, more people have been showing preference for cremation, which they regard as a solution to the growing problem of diminishing land which is itself blamed on over-population.

The argument that cremation helps preserve agricultural, industrial and residential land has had academics and decision-makers weighing the need to save land against the respect for African culture.  Antagonists of the practice reject it offhand for reasons ranging from ‘immoral, religious to un-African’.

The South African Cemetery Association’s objective is to ensure that land is spared to make way for future infrastructure development.

The association’s spokesperson, Pepe Dass, says the challenge has always been changing people’s perceptions about cremation as an alternative burial practice.

Speaking at a recent South African Local Government Association (Salga) cemeteries indaba in Bloemfontein, Dass argued that land that could be used for housing, commercial or industrial, recreation and agriculture purposes is being eaten up by graves.

Dass suggested alternative, less space consuming ways to dispatch dead people, such as burying them on top of one another in a single grave, and even cremating them. This, according to him, would ensure there is enough land to be used for agricultural purposes.

“Do we then avert from building industries and creating jobs in order to create space for burial space. At the end of the day, those bodies are going to rot. However, converting people from their traditional values, customs and beliefs has proven to be a tall order. Many people have a spiritual attachment to the graves of their departed.

“The population is growing at an uncontrollable pace, thereby increasing competition for land. The cost of maintaining cemeteries is also a concern,” insisted Dass.

This was disputed by a Thaba Nchu chieftainess, Gaongalelwe Moroka, who pointed out that – with South Africa being a multi-cultural society – it is vital to respect those who are sentimentally attached to ‘the land of the dead’.

“In the past, people used to bury loved ones in a seated position covered in animal skin.  Those who had sudden deaths were buried right at the place of the death. Those who had been struck by lightning were buried next to a wetland – far away from the village – to prevent bringing bad luck to the community.”

Moroka noted that due to rapid and large scale urbanisation, certain cultural practices are being prohibited by laws and local by-laws, leading to the gradual phasing out of these practices.

“These include slaughtering a cow as part of the burial ritual, as well as chiefs and their families having their own graveyard. For example, environmental laws bar us from burying lightning victims in wetlands.

“Fine, there are alternatives to burying the people, like cremation. But, how do you erect a tombstone if you have burned the remains of a dead person? I disagree with the whole idea of cremation. Our cultures, traditions and values are our identity; they are the cornerstone of who we are as a people.

“The authorities need to consult – through public hearings – the communities whose way of life will be affected by any proposed changes to the manner of disposing of the dead.”

While leaders engage in burial versus cremation boardroom discussions, the people on the ground are very clear about what they want.

Mantwa Tshepe (65) says that she believes entirely in keeping burials the way they are.

“Our ancestors have been practising it since time immemorial and we will continue doing it for years to come. We have land; why can’t we use all this land that is available?”

Tshepe used to work for a white family in a farm as a domestic worker and was appalled by the decision to cremate their loved one.

“I have never come to grips with cremation and don’t see myself doing it. How will we communicate with our ancestors when we have barbequed their remains?” she asked as she walked past one of the local cemeteries.

Tshepe still believes that Africans should not desecrate burial ground thus tampering with the way they have always done things.  On the other hand, there are those who view cremation as a solution to the burgeoning land crisis.

Motsamai Ntheko (58), an entrepreneur who lives in Batho Location Bloemfontein has no qualms about cremation as he maintains burial space is dwindling fast.

“The issue we need to deal with is the perceptions about culture and the pragmatism behind cremation. I personally don’t have a problem with it,” said Ntheko.

Ntheko is not versed in the nitty-gritties of the incineration procedure and what happens to the ashes, but hopes they are not simply and nonchalantly disposed of.

“At the end of the day, we still need to consider cultures of certain people; those who believe in the spirits of the dead and those who believe in tombstones.

“In our culture, people visit their loved ones’ graves in times of adversity. Sepulchres are part of our cultural make up and we cannot just consign them to the dustbin at a whim,” admitted Ntheko.

Noqolo Ndoda (53), a retired nurse, acknowledges that cremation is a lot cheaper than burying the dead.

“More and more people are resorting to cremation because it is not costly. The middle class African people are more inclined to cremation as an option than any other group of people. I personally don’t have any problem with it,” said Ndoda.

Ndoda maintains that the graveyard is not the only place that Africans can practice their culture of communing with their ancestors, as they would still do it in the privacy of their homes if the ashes are placed in an urn.

“The concept is the same at the end of the day. The person being spoken to at a tomb would still be the same person in a vase. It’s still spiritual,” added Ndoda.

Ways to handle the dead

Aquamation:
Aquamation is the most environment-friendly way of disposal of human bodies. The process involves the rapid disintegration of the human body into high quality fertilizers. In comparison with cremation, about 10% of the energy is used, and all of the associated pollution is avoided. With Aquamation, an individual body is gently placed in a clean, stainless steel vessel.

A combination of water flow, temperature (~90C) and alkalinity are used to accelerate the natural course of tissue hydrolysis. Typically the process takes about four hours to complete.

Burial:
Burial is the act of interring a person or object in the ground, and is probably the simplest and most common method of disposing of a body.

Burial is generally accepted to be one of the earliest detectable forms of religious practice, and many hominid remains have been discovered interred with grave goods, or with obvious signs of ceremony. Even today, most burials are presided over by a religious figure, and in many cultures they are conducted with great reverence.

In some cultures, exactly how one is buried may make all the difference. Christian burials, for example, often demand that the body be laid flat, with arms and legs extended and aligned east-west, with the head at the western end of the grave.

Burial at Sea:
Burial at sea is the term used for the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean. Many cultures have regulations to make burial at sea accessible, and it is fast becoming a popular choice.

In the United States, ashes must be scattered no less than three nautical miles from the shore, and bodies given over to the sea must be buried in locations of at least 600 feet depth.

Traditionally, the service is conducted by the captain or commanding officer of the ship or aircraft. Possibilities include burial in a weighted casket, burial in an urn, being sewn into sailcloth or scattering the cremated remains.

Entombment:
Entombment is the act of placing human remains in a structurally enclosed space, or burial chamber. This differs from burial in that the body is not consigned directly to the earth, but rather is kept within a specially designed sealed chamber.

There are many different forms of tombs, from mausoleums (specifically built for this purpose), to elaborate (and often decorative) family crypts, to a simple cave with a sealed entrance. A mausoleum is typically an above-ground structure, but a tomb may also be an underground chamber.

Tombs may be designed for singular use, or may serve to house the remains of several generations. Individual remains within a tomb are often sealed in coffins or sarcophagi, though in some cases they are placed in interment niches.

Cremation:
Cremation is the process of reducing dead bodies to basic chemical compounds in the form of gases and bone fragments. This is most often performed in a crematorium, though some cultures, such as India, do practice open-air cremation. Generally, temperatures of no less than 1500oF are required to ensure complete disintegration.

After the process is complete, the dry bone fragments that remain are swept out of the retort (the chamber in which the body is immolated) and passed through a cremulator. This machine grinds the bones into a fine, sand-like powder. – www. listverse.com