The City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department has officially opened an extension at Sir Lowry’s Pass Cemetery, providing 544 additional burial spaces.
The new section became operational last month (December).
Planning for the extension at the local cemetery began in August 2022, in a bid to address the need for burial spaces across the metropole after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project overcame several challenges including securing land-use approval in November 2023 and addressing environmental conditions, such as the removal of aging stone pine trees to accommodate the additional burial spaces.
To maximise capacity in the new extension, the burial spaces have been designed as berm graves, allowing only vertical headstones or scrolls. This efficient layout of the newly established section ensures optimal use of available space, while maintaining a dignified community environment.
Previously, the cemetery primarily facilitated the reopening of private family graves.
Although the extension allows for new burials, the Recreation and Parks Department has limited burials in the section to three per day to ensure operations run smoothly.
The City is committed to addressing burial-space challenges in the metropole. Other projects, such as the Kuils River Cemetery expansion, are currently underway, with environmental authorisation granted last month and the land-use application currently in progress.
“The opening of the extension at Sir Lowry’s Pass Cemetery is an important step towards addressing the area’s burial space challenges,” said Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health.
“The City remains committed to providing dignified and accessible burial options. We would like to encourage residents to plan ahead with their undertakers and consider weekday burials to reduce possible backlogs on applications for weekend bookings.”
Bookings for burials in the new section must adhere to standard procedures and comply with the City’s regulations for berm grave designs.
