Maitland Crematorium cremator back in operation

Cape Town - The second cremator at the Maitland Crematorium which has been out of commission since late April is finally back in operation this week.

The City of Cape Town owns the crematorium and said the cremator, has been out of service since April 24, for maintenance.

They said it has received the necessary authorisation from the Air Quality Control authorities and passed the required stack tests which measure air quality emissions.

It said the Maitland Crematorium is now fully operational and has been granted permission to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist in this period of high demand.

Furthermore, they said while there are other crematoriums across the province that are privately owned, it could not comment on their operational status.

“Losing a loved one is a stressful time, especially planning to lay them to rest.

We are aware of the backlogs and have worked hard to ensure the second cremator came online again as soon as possible.

“We are working on expanding our cremator capacity in the future. We will communicate these details once finalised.

“It is anticipated that the increase in cremations on a daily basis will start having a positive impact and ease the backlog,” mayoral committee member for community services and health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross said.