Cape Town: Aquamation, mausoleums and sea burials may be the way of the future for the Western Cape as burial space runs out.
The province has 40 cemeteries, yet only 17 are in use, with just six having a significant amount of space left.
Currently AVBOB Funeral Services is the only funeral home in the country which offers Aquamation, in Cape Town and Pretoria, and is considering additional sites.
At Maitland AVBOB, two aquamations take place a day, with 30 per month.
Branch manager Jacques Snyman explained the process, which involves the body being placed in a pressurised horizontal steel tomb filled with water and potassium hydroxide and heated to approximately 95 degrees Celsius.
This process is known as alkaline hydrolysis.
There is no stench or smoke as the team gathers inside a room and the machine is behind a glass window.
The process can take up to eight hours to complete, depending on the deceased body mass.
Snyman is the only person who operates the machine daily and personally did Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s aquamation in December 2021.
He has also done the funerals of former president, Nelson Mandela and that of ex-Springbok Chester Williams.
The process breaks down fats and all that is left are calcium parts such as bones and teeth, which are easily broken down into a powder form which is given to family members, while the water-like liquid is disposed of in a sewerage system.
Manfred Jacobs, key accounts manager for AVBOB said aquamation was the way of the future.
“When we speak of burial grounds, we must remember that space is an issue,” he said.
“We live in an era where we have to go green as this is less damaging to the environment.”
Jacobs said the process was also an energy saver.
Snyman, who is seasoned in burials and aquamation, said the body was placed into a silk-like fabric which assists in the process in the same way as does having a coffin during fire cremation: “The water temperature is set at 95 degrees.
“We bring families in here (aquamation centre) for those who want to be here while it's happening. They do not see the body but the machine. There are no fumes.
“We do find surgical devices such as a hip bone or pacemaker in the machine.”
Snyman said after the process all germs or sickness or viruses are not present inside the powder left behind.
Snyman said the liquid disappears into the sewerage system and has a very low alkalinity.
“There are gases in the water and its safe,” he said.
He said legislation and acceptance took a process of three years with discussions with the community, and the machine cost over R9 million and was imported from America.
The City said only three out of the five crematoriums were operational in the Western Cape.
Mayco member for community services and health, councillor Patricia Van der Ross said various burial options had to be considered, including tomb-like burials, as space was running out.
“The National Health Regulations give authorisation for a process to be legalised. Sea burial, mausoleum interment, in-ground burial, cremation and aquamation are all recognised procedures for disposing of deceased human remains,” she said.
“The demand for cremation is approximately 40%, versus a 60% demand for burial. “The municipal cemeteries receive an average of 1 100 burials per month.
“The City encourages residents to consider the following burial options to help with the current shortage:
∎ Reopening of family graves.
∎ Mausoleum burial. This type of burial is an above ground building that coffins are enclosed in. Mausoleum burials can be reserved with the City.
∎ Cremations, where cultural and religious beliefs do not prohibit the above.