Saving burial space through cremation

Last week saw Dups cremate about 36 unclaimed bodies, and this was the first cremation authorized by government. This comes hot on the heels of the Municipality of Manzini clanging alarm bells regarding burial space fast running out at Ngwane Park Cemetery. According to Observer on Saturday, the Council implored Swazis with properties in the city to consider burying their loved ones at their parental homes around the country so that the little space available may be reserved for those who are not Swazis by birth.

On that note, we would like to shine the spotlight on another alternative to saving burial space – cremation. Apart from saving space, cremation offers an affordable alternative to traditional body burial. As much as the concept of cremation is relatively new in Swaziland, more Swazis are now using the crematorium facility at Dups Funeral home since the incinerator started operating almost eight years ago.

It has all along been regarded as un-Swazi to have the body of the deceased cremated, but people have now come to terms with the fact that cremation is no different than the ordinary burial we are used to. It can still be done in a way that still retains the dignity of the departed. In other words, one can still have their remains laid to rest, in a different but dignified way through cremation. About 3% of services conducted by Dups Funeral Home per month are now crematorium services and about 30% of the total number is Swazis, which is a phenomenal figure when taking into account that Swaziland is a traditional country. It shows a big mind-shift in Swazis – a shift in the right direction as it is preserves land and ensures that remains are taken care of at minimal cost, especially when cost of living is soaring. Other people, like very fervent conservationists, sometimes known as “tree-huggers”, also feel that choosing cremation over body burial is friendlier to the environment because no land is disturbed on their account. Clearly, price is not the only advantage in choosing cremation. 

It still remains a client choice to either be cremated or be buried and this is done in accordance with their beliefs,
 customs and traditions as it is one of our values to respect culture, customs & traditions.  Cremation is not a substitute for a funeral service as the final disposition of the remains is still required, and as such whether it is a cremation or burial service, the family still has time to mourn the loss of their loved one through a memorial or prayer service.

Apart from Swazis considering cremation, it is also something that those of foreign origin can consider. There are many non-Swazis who are buried in the kingdom because of the astronomical cost of repatriating bodies of deceased individuals. However, most people get very attached to graves of their loved ones and would be utterly heartbroken to leave Swaziland knowing that they’re leaving one of their own behind, “all alone”. The cremains (i.e. ashes) are portable, and this allows families to take remains with them when they move or get a chance to visit their homelands. There are, however people who are totally against being buried in foreign lands and totally against cremation. Against this background, we would like to remind all foreign nationals of the Homelink Cover Plan. Under this plan, no-one would be forced into the corner of burying loved ones here under financial pressure, when they would rather bury them in their country of origin. This affordable product covers repatriation of foreign nationals who are resident in Swaziland as well as Swazis who are resident in other countries in the event of death. The Homelink Cover Plan assists in providing a cash payout upon the death of a covered individual, including the policy holder and his/her family member dependents.

Call us on 2505 2028 to find out more about cremation and the Homelink Cover Plan. You can also pay us a visit at our offices in Manzini, Matata, Matsapha, Simunye, Nhlangano, Mbabane, Piggs Peak and Siteki. Alternatively, you can send queries to info@dupsgroup.com, www.facebook.com/dups or on Twitter @dupsinsurance.