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IOL News
11-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Mobeni Heights and oThongathi crematoria to be restored
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba visited the Mobeni Heights Crematorium, which has been out of order Image: Supplied The eThekwini Municipality will be spending R21-million to repair and replace furnaces at the Mobeni and oThongathi Crematoria. During a site visit of the Mobeni Heights Crematorium on Tuesday, eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba assured the community affected by the closure of the Mobeni Heights Crematorium that the municipality would accelerate the process of restoring the facility. To remedy the situation, the municipality is procuring two furnaces which will be installed by the end of August. Xaba has vowed to monitor the repairs closely to ensure that the facility is back to its full operations. 'The municipality has allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces and to give the entire facility a facelift,' he said. Xaba added the process of repairing the oThongathi Crematorium was at an advanced stage as the municipality reprioritised R7 million for the replacement of furnaces. 'We anticipate completing the work at the oThongathi Crematorium by the end of next month,' said Xaba. Both crematoria have been plagued with challenges due to aging infrastructure, resulting in constant closure of the facilities. The Mobeni Heights Crematorium was closed due to the furnaces malfunctioned as they were prone to overheating, resulting in high emissions. This posed environmental health risks to the surrounding community. The decision to act comes on the heels of persistent appeals from community members and local funeral practitioners who have expressed frustration over years of inadequate service. Clive Moodley, president of the Progressive Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa, said they approached the mayor's office last week after having fruitless meetings over a number of years with other councillors and officials. "Mobeni Heights has not been operational for a year. Prior to that in the last 20 years there has been ongoing problems. One furnace will work and the other won't or both will stop working. Then there was the issue of gas. "After engaging with councillors and local government officials and getting nowhere we went direct to the mayor. And he came out for the site visit," said Moodley. Moodley said they now hope that something will be done soon and there will be progress. "Apart from it being costly for families to have funerals at private crematoriums, it is also more travel distances and different rules and regulations at some of these facilities," he said. SUNDAY TRIBUNE
IOL News
11-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Challenges at Mobeni Heights Crematorium prompt R14 million repair plan
eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba visited the Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth, which was temporarily shut down before it posed an environmental health risk to the surrounding community after the furnaces malfunctioned. Image: eThekwini Municipality The Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth was temporarily shut down before it posed environmental health risks to the surrounding community after the furnaces malfunctioned. The eThekwini Municipality has now allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces and to give the entire facility a facelift, said eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba, who visited the facility on Tuesday. He assured the community affected by the closure that the municipality is accelerating the process of restoring it. Xaba said he saw firsthand the challenges at the crematorium, which was closed three weeks ago due to the furnaces' malfunctioning, as they were prone to overheating, resulting in high emissions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading To remedy the situation, the municipality has started the process of procuring two furnaces, which will be installed by the end of August 2025. Xaba has pleaded for patience from the affected communities, stating further that he will monitor the repairs closely to ensure that the facility is back to its full operations. Sunitha Maharaj, representing the Minority Front in eThekwini, commended Xaba for visiting the crematorium and seeing firsthand the challenges staff face. She said the communities are calling for the privatisation of the crematorium because the municipality has allegedly failed to fix the furnaces and renew the Air Emission Licence. 'Concerned residents are also calling for the commissioning of the crematorium in Phoenix, which has been approved. There is no political will to relieve the pressure off Clare Estate Crematorium and make good on the promises to the community of Phoenix and surrounding areas,' Maharaj said. Rocky Naidoo, chairperson of the Chatsworth and District Civic Federation, who has been vocal about getting the crematorium functional, said budgets were passed going back to 2003 to fix the crematorium, but problems persist, exaggerated in the last 10 years. He said transportation costs for families to Cato Ridge and Clare Estate crematoriums were expensive. 'There are a select few people in Durban who can repair and install incinerators, but they were not used. We wait to see if this is an empty promise. The municipality is encouraging cremations instead of burials because there is a lack of space, yet they are derailing the process by not having functioning facilities,' Naidoo said. Xaba added that processes are also at an advanced stage to repair the oThongathi Crematorium as the municipality reprioritised R7 million for the replacement of furnaces. 'We anticipate completing the work at the oThongathi Crematorium by the end of next month,' he added.
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Repairs to Mobeni Heights and Tongaat crematoriums to be fast-tracked
ETHEKWINI Mayor Cyril Xaba conducted a site visit to the Mobeni Heights Crematorium yesterday (Tuesday) to address the challenges plaguing the facility, and vowed to accelerate the repairs. On May 12, the crematorium was shut-down after the municipality had failed to renew the Air Emission Licence (AEL). At the time, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said the closure of the crematorium was based on the poor performance of the furnace due to the control unit malfunctioning. This impacted on the facility's ability to cremate within the parameters of the AEL, and the closure was enforced despite the AEL being valid until January 31, 2026. The high emissions posed an environmental health risk to the surrounding community. Xaba said to remedy the situation, the municipality has started the process of procuring two furnaces which would be installed by the end of August. He called for patience from the affected communities and vowed to monitor the repairs closely to ensure that the facility was back to its full operations. 'The municipality has allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces at the Mobeni Heights Crematorium and to give the entire facility a facelift,' he added. Sisilana said the upgrade of the crematorium was funded in the 2025/2026 financial year and would focus on the replacement of the furnace and a building upgrade of the 'pyramid' portion of the facility. 'Any changes would require permission from the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and final approval by other role players,' she added. The crematorium has two furnaces, both of which are not operational. The upgrade would replace the oldest furnace with a locally manufactured and maintained unit. The new unit will comply with the latest legislation required to operate a crematorium. The second furnace that was commissioned in 2021 will undergo a refurbishment, including the control unit to latest industrial standards and norms to be fully compliant with all legislative requirements. Xaba said processes to repair the Tongaat Crematorium were also at an advanced stage as the municipality had reprioritized R7 million for the replacement of furnaces. 'We anticipate completing the work at the Tongaat Crematorium by the end of next month. While repairs are ongoing at these facilities, the municipality urges residents to use nearby crematoria,' Xaba added. The POST
The South African
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates linked with record-breaking PSL signing
Orlando Pirates FC are determined to build for the future. The club are home to some of the continent's top young players in the form of Relebohile Mofokeng, Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Now, the club are looking at signing another teenager who could very well become a record-breaking PSL signing! READ MORE • Orlando Pirates rocked by R84 million snag in dream hire! READ MORE • Orlando Pirates take stunning Monnapule Saleng decision! According to the latest transfer gossip, Orlando Pirates FC are extremely keen on signing Highlanders FC star Prince Ndlovu. The 19-year-old winger however will cost the Buccaneers a whopping R15 million! 'Highlanders FC value Prince (Ndlovu) and that's why they are pricing him at around R15million,' – an insider told Soccer Laduma . 'For now this price is believed to be directed at South African team Orlando Pirates because apparently they are the ones who have enquired about his services. Highlanders believe it's a fair price looking at his talent, quality and future ahead of him.' According to Transfermarkt, Khama Billiat's move from Ajax Cape Town to Mamelodi Sundowns back in 2013 was worth R14 million. Billiats move was the highest recorded deal involving a Zimbabwean in the PSL. This means, Prince Ndlovu Ndlovu will become the biggest Zimbabwe-South Africa transfer of all time if he seals a move to Orlando Pirates! READ MORE • Mamelodi Sundowns to dismiss two new signings already! How much of Prince have you seen? Is he worth R15 million? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@ or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @ TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
The Citizen
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Giyani mayor tables infrastructure-focused 2025/26 budget
LIMPOPO – Giyani Mayor Thandi Zitha has officially tabled the municipality's budget for the 2025/26 financial year, focusing on infrastructure development, improved service delivery, and financial sustainability. In her address, Zitha outlined a range of capital projects aimed at uplifting various communities within the municipality, some of which have previously made headlines due to delays or stalled progress. These include the Section E Sports Centre, which has been allocated R10 million for the refurbishment of its vandalised infrastructure, and the Mageva Sports Centre, which also received R10 million for the extension of its pitch. Additionally, R14 million has been set aside for the upgrading of streets from gravel to paving in Section E. A further R5 million has been allocated for the construction of market stalls in Sections A and C, areas situated near Nkhensani Hospital and Letaba TVET College. A significant portion of the budget includes R30.4 million for street upgrades in Khakhala village, R21.9 million for internal street upgrades in N'wamankena village, and R26.5 million for similar projects in Babangu village. 'We have also set aside R11.5 million for basic electricity infrastructure to ensure that households without access to electricity are provided with an essential power supply,' explained the mayor. However, despite these ambitious development plans, the municipality projects a slight decline in income for the 2025/26 financial year, with projected revenue decreasing from R687.8 million in 2024/25 to R673 million in the current financial year starting in July. Nevertheless, revenue from property rates and refuse services continues to play a vital role in the municipality's finances. Meanwhile, for the 2025/26 financial year, income from these sources is expected to total R101.8 million, with a steady increase to R106.4 million in 2026/27 and R111.1 million in 2027/28, as outlined in the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework. The mayor emphasised the importance of adjusting tariffs to reflect the actual cost of delivering municipal services in line with the Local Government Municipal Systems Act. According to her, this approach will enable the municipality to generate sufficient revenue to fully cover service costs, ensure sustainable delivery, and invest in critical infrastructure. She also urged residents to settle their outstanding municipal accounts, stating that doing so plays a vital role in enabling the municipality to provide improved services such as water, sanitation, and waste management. 'We have incentives that we give to individuals that settle their accounts with the municipality, such as massive discounts and others, so please use this opportunity to clear your debts and assist in stabilising the municipality's financial position,' she said, urging all residents to pay for municipal services. Meanwhile, the total budget expenditure for the 2024/25 financial year was recorded at R916.8 million. However, this amount has been reduced by R10 million in the following year, bringing the total projected expenditure for the 2025/26 financial year down to R906.8 million. This was welcomed by several opposition parties as a step towards achieving sustainable and cost-saving operations. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
