The head of the Public Health Portfolio in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Thsonono Buyeye led a site visit to cemeteries in the city following the recent floods.
He said the worst affected was the Motherwell cemetery where construction work is expected to commence soon to ensure a sustainable solution to the ongoing issues when flooding occurs.
Buyeye said they assessed cemeteries across the Bay and the most affected were Motherwell and the Gerald Smith Cemetery in Kariega.
Kariega recorded a massive 224.8 mm of rain this week resulting in severe structural damage.
Thousands of residents had to be evacuated and are currently housed in shelters.
Buyeye said there is an ongoing challenge in the city whenever there are heavy rains and the constant flooding of our cemeteries is what they are trying to find a lasting solution to.
He said they will start working at the Motherwell cemetery to ensure rainwater is channelled into the existing canal.
The Metro says due to budget limitations they can only attend to the Motherwell Cemetery for now as they only have R3 million available for the project.
Buyeye further cautioned the public not to believe fake news doing the rounds on social media stating that burials will not be taking place this weekend.
He said the water has already started to subside and there is no reason not to continue with burials.
