By Celani Sikhakhane
- Multiple families say Lala Kahle Memorial Park in Botha’s Hill sold their reserved burial plots to other people without telling them or refunding them.
- One family paid an annual R5,000 maintenance fee for their plot, only to find it had been given to someone else they do not know.
A KwaZulu-Natal cemetery that allegedly charges up to R50,000 for a grave is facing fraud allegations from families who say their pre-purchased burial plots were sold to other people without their knowledge.
Lala Kahle Memorial Park in Botha’s Hill, west of Durban, is one of the most prominent private cemeteries in the province. Gospel legend Sfiso Ncwane, gospel star Deborah Fraser and former KZN Premier Lionel Mtshali are all buried there. The cemetery was founded by the late businessman Don Mkhwanazi and is managed by Acetowise Investments.
Several families told Scrolla they discovered their reserved plots had been occupied by strangers. One family from KwaNyuswa said they paid ongoing annual maintenance fees of R5,000 for their plot, only to find it had been allocated to someone else. They want to know where their money went.
“When my mother passed away, we were told that her grave is no longer available because it was allocated to someone else without our permission,” a family member said.
“This is fraud at its best and we are very angry.”
A second family said they only found out last week that their plot had been used for another person. They plan to open a criminal case at the weekend.
In August 2025, a separate family visiting the cemetery discovered that a plot they had bought in 2015 alongside their father’s grave had already been occupied, with no explanation given.
Some families are calling for the bodies to be exhumed so their own relatives can be buried in the plots they paid for. Others have taken their complaints to social media.
Families also allege they were forced to buy tombstones from a supplier connected to the cemetery when arranging unveiling ceremonies.
Cemetery representative Patrick Sibiya asked Scrolla to send questions by email. He acknowledged receipt but did not respond before publication. In a previous response to similar complaints, Sibiya said the cemetery takes such matters seriously but needs the identities of complainants and documentation to investigate.
The cemetery was officially opened in 2012 by then KZN MEC for Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs Nomsa Dube-Ncube and then eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo.
Pictured above: Lala Kahle Memorial Park in Botha’s Hill, west of Durban, is facing fraud allegations from families who say their reserved burial plots were sold to other people.
Image source: Lala Kahle
