'Long overdue' - Crematorium gets R3m boost
A local Hindu organisation says plans to replace the furnace at the oThongathi Crematorium have been long overdue.
During an EXCO meeting this week, the eThekwini Municipality announced it's allocating an extra R3 million to the initial R5 million budget for the project.
The facility has been out of service since January after it suffered repeated breakdowns.
Vedananda Govindsamy, the chairperson of the Tongaat Hindu Unity Forum, says the upgrade will bring much-needed financial relief for families in the area.
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"As a community that has experienced so many disasters in the recent past. The non-functioning furnace places additional financial burden on the community, as now members of the community need to use a private facility in Verulam or even the crematorium at Clare Estate.
"It's far, it's more convenient to have this facility right here in the community that is easily accessible."
The municipality says it's in the process of appointing a local service provider to manufacture, construct, and install the new furnace.
