Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Groundwater impact of COVID-19 pandemic burials studied

30 April 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Dr Palesa Mohajane, a scientist production at the Department of Water and Sanitation in Hartbeespoort, was recently awarded her doctoral degree at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) autumn graduation ceremony. Her thesis, titled Modelling the effect of pandemic-induced burials on groundwater contamination: a hydrogeological and epidemiological assessment, looks at the impact of increased burial rates on groundwater quality.

Safeguarding groundwater resources

Dr Mohajane explains that witnessing the dramatic rise in burial rates during the COVID-19 pandemic – including instances of mass burials – and the resulting strain on cemeteries, raised concerns about the potential risk of groundwater contamination. This became a motivator for her research.

Her study bridges the gap between environmental science and epidemiology, developing tools to predict how disease outbreaks and related deaths can impact groundwater systems. “By focusing on this intersection, the study contributes knowledge that informs not only responsible cemetery management, but also the protection of groundwater resources important to public health,” she says.

Dr Mohajane highlights the environmental risks that come with an increase in burial activity during pandemics. “When death rates rise sharply, cemeteries experience a surge in burials, which accelerates decomposition within confined spaces. As bodies decompose, they release organic and inorganic pollutants, which can seep through geological layers and affect groundwater quality.”

She notes that if cemeteries are established without proper hydrogeological assessments, these substances can infiltrate the soil and contaminate water sources, posing a threat to both environmental and human health.

Using advanced tools to predict groundwater pollution

Dr Mohajane conducted her research during the post-pandemic period when the longer-term environmental effects of COVID-19-related burial practices began to surface. “Groundwater sampling and quality testing were conducted between September 2023 and January 2024. This period provided a suitable time frame to monitor contaminant release and assess the hydrochemical effects of the burial practices,” she explains.

Langberg Cemetery was selected as a case study due to its representative geological and human-made characteristics, making it a strong candidate for validating the research models. “This site allowed for real-world testing of the mathematical models and simulations, offering important insights into how contaminants move through soil and rock layers and impact groundwater,” says Dr Mohajane.

Her findings revealed that groundwater contamination is influenced by multiple interacting factors – including burial depth, body mass, and geological features. She explains that shallower burials allow pollutants to reach the water table more rapidly, while deeper burials may delay but not prevent eventual leaching. Larger body masses produce more decomposing material, increasing the number of pollutants released. Geological conditions such as fractures and varied rock formations also play a role in the spread of contaminants.

Dr Mohajane’s work has serious implications for both public health and water sustainability. The presence of elevated levels of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, specific ions, alkalinity, and mineralisation indicates potential health hazards. As groundwater is an important source of drinking water, she stresses the urgency of addressing these risks. “We need to use advanced tools to predict and prevent groundwater pollution before it occurs. With proper water management systems, we can reduce the environmental impact of pandemics,” she says.

She also emphasises the importance of continuous monitoring to detect pollutant levels that exceed safety limits. “Improving burial practices – including thorough geological assessments before establishing cemeteries and optimising burial depths – can help reduce contaminant migration. These measures are important to protect community water resources,” she adds.

Measures to protect groundwater and public health

Dr Mohajane’s research proposes a range of practical measures to safeguard groundwater and public health. Cemeteries should only be developed after detailed geological evaluations, and clear regulations must guide cemetery design to manage increased burial needs during pandemics. Regular water quality monitoring using modern detection tools is key, along with the inclusion of environmental assessments in public health planning.

“These policy measures, if adopted at both regional and national levels, can help to reduce the risk of groundwater pollution and support long-term public health,” she says.

Ultimately, this research supports South Africa’s efforts to protect its groundwater by encouraging collaboration between scientists and policy makers. It offers predictive tools, evidence-based guidelines for sustainable cemetery management, and highlights how scientific research can shape practical, effective policies. The goal is to ensure that groundwater remains a safe and secure resource during future public health and environmental crises.

News Archive

“To forgive is not an obligation. It’s a choice.” – Prof Minow during Reconciliation Lecture

2014-03-05

“To forgive is not an obligation. It’s a choice.” – Prof Minow during the Third Annual Reconciliation Lecture entitled Forgiveness, Law and Justice.
Photo: Johan Roux

No one could have anticipated the atmosphere in which Prof Martha Minow would visit the Bloemfontein Campus. And no one could have predicted how apt the timing of her message would be. As this formidable Dean of Harvard University’s Law School stepped behind the podium, a latent tension edged through the crowded audience.

“The issue of getting along after conflict is urgent.”

With these few words, Prof Minow exposed the essence of not only her lecture, but also the central concern of the entire university community.

As an expert on issues surrounding racial justice, Prof Minow has worked across the globe in post-conflict societies. How can we prevent atrocities from happening? she asked. Her answer was an honest, “I don’t know.” What she is certain of, on the other hand, is that the usual practice of either silence or retribution does not work. “I think that silence produces rage – understandably – and retribution produces the cycle of violence. Rather than ignoring what happens, rather than retribution, it would be good to reach for something more.” This is where reconciliation comes in.

Prof Minow put forward the idea that forgiveness should accompany reconciliation efforts. She defined forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to forego rightful grounds of resentment towards those who have committed a wrong. “To forgive then, in this definition, is not an obligation. It’s a choice. And it’s held by the one who was harmed,” she explained.

Letting go of resentment cannot be forced – not even by the law. What the law can do, though, is either to encourage or discourage forgiveness. Prof Minow showed how the law can construct adversarial processes that render forgiveness less likely, when indeed its intention was the opposite. “Or, law can give people chances to meet together in spaces where they may apologise and they may forgive,” she continued. This point introduced some surprising revelations about our Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Indeed, studies do report ambivalence, disappointment and mixed views about the TRC. Whatever our views are on its success, Prof Minow reported that people across the world wonder how South African did it. “It may not work entirely inside the country; outside the country it’s had a huge effect. It’s a touchstone for transitional justice.”

The TRC “seems to have coincided with, and maybe contributed to, the relatively peaceful political transition to democracy that is, frankly, an absolute miracle.” What came as a surprise to many is this: the fact that the TRC has affected transitional justice efforts in forty jurisdictions, including Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Liberia. It has even inspired the creation of a TRC in Greensborough, North Carolina, in the United States.

There are no blueprints for solving conflict, though. “But the possibility of something other than criminal trials, something other than war, something other than silence – that’s why the TRC, I think, has been such an exemplar to the world,” she commended.

Court decision cannot rebuild a society, though. Only individuals can forgive. Only individuals can start with purposeful, daily decisions to forgive and forge a common future. Forgiveness is rather like kindness, she suggested. It’s a resource without limits. It’s not scarce like water or money. It’s within our reach. But if it’s forced, it’s not forgiveness.

“It is good,” Prof Minow warned, “to be cautious about the use of law to deliberately shape or manipulate the feelings of any individual. But it is no less important to admit that law does affect human beings, not just in its results, but in its process.” And then we must take responsibility for how we use that law.

“A government can judge, but only people can forgive.” As Prof Minow’s words lingered, the air suddenly seemed a bit more buoyant.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept