High Court gives Msunduzi three weeks to file crematorium rescue plan

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has given Msunduzi Municipality a three-week deadline to produce a concrete rescue plan for the troubled Mountain Rise Crematorium. In a directive aimed at breaking the deadlock between the City and the Hindu Dharma Trust (HDT), the court instructed the municipality to draw up a written plan detailing exactly what work will be carried out at the facility, the steps involved, and when each stage is expected to be completed. The directive follows a court challenge brought by the HDT in its efforts to take over the running of the crematorium.

The HDT’s court action was brought after its tender bid to restore and manage the facility was rejected by the municipality, which argued the trust lacked the required five years’ experience in operating a crematorium. For several years, Pietermaritzburg families have faced repeated breakdowns, temporary closures and incomplete cremations at the Mountain Rise facility, with many forced to travel to Durban to perform final rites. In its founding affidavit, the HDT called for urgent intervention to restore the crematorium and said it was willing to partner with the City to run the facility.

When the matter first came before court last year, it was postponed to allow Msunduzi to file responding papers and for other interested parties to join the application. During arguments, the HDT’s legal representative disputed the City’s claim that the crematorium was functional, telling the court that the facility was using an incinerator rather than a proper cremator. The municipality’s lawyer said the City is waiting for replacement parts from Germany to repair the damaged cremators. Last August, Msunduzi toldThe Witnessthat repair work was progressing, particularly on Cremator B, which was being prepared for recommissioning.