Burial halted after discovery of bones in blanket at Johannesburg cemetery
A planned funeral for Kurt Edward's father, who passed away on June 29, took an unexpected and distressing turn after a troubling discovery was made at his late mother's gravesite in Westpark Cemetery.
Northcliff Melville Times reports Edward had intended for his father to be laid to rest above his mother, who died in 2015.
The burial was scheduled for July 4, however, on July 1, he received an urgent call from his sister, who had been contacted earlier by officials from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) — the custodians of the cemetery.
City Parks staff requested an immediate family presence at the grave after making a shocking find during preparations for the upcoming burial. Edward rushed to the site, where he was shown a white blanket lying within the grave, containing what appeared to be a small bone. Also on the blanket were a few decorative beads. The discovery immediately raised questions about what, or who, had been buried there.
According to Edward, City Parks officials admitted they were uncertain about the nature of the find and sought his permission to investigate further. 'They said they couldn't proceed until they found the skull,' Edward explained. 'Without that, they can't determine whether it's human remains or something else.'
So far, only two small bones have been recovered, and no skull has yet been located.
Spokesperson of the JCPZ Jenny Moodley stated that the cemetery manager at Westpark Cemetery was alerted by ground staff during preparations to reopen a grave for a scheduled burial in the same plot where a family member was interred in 2015.
'During this process, what appears to be the remains of the individual buried in 2015 were encountered.'
In line with JCPZ's standard protocols, the affected family was promptly informed.
She concluded that all procedures followed were in accordance with cemetery management regulations and respectful burial practices.
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