Gaping hole at Benoni Cemetery a danger to residents

Earlier this month, Michael de Araujo sprained his ankle after falling into a water-filled trench on section RC4 of the Benoni Cemetery in Rynsoord while taking photos to send to the City of Ekurhuleni.

Just a week earlier before his ordeal, local residents were ankle-deep in the mud rescuing a woman who had fallen in the same trench while on her way to a family member’s tombstone.

“This is a safety risk. I don’t want people to get hurt. Someone might get killed. Elderly people and children might fall and hurt themselves,” said De Araujo.

According to an employee, this trench was dug last year by the municipality to fix a burst pipe.

The pool of water has caused dampness on the surface and rendered the place difficult to navigate for mourners and those like Araujo and his in-laws who frequent the cemetery to clean late family members’ tombstones.

“My sisters-in-law come here every week to clean the tombstone. When they try to walk through this, it’s difficult because it’s uneven. Sometimes the grass is knee-high. The hole has been left open since last year. After a while, there was fresh water coming out,” he said.

De Araujo lambasted the municipality for not barricading the area to warn residents, adding that the clean and fresh water oozing from the burst pipe was being wasted, especially with the water-shedding Benoni has been experiencing.

He bemoaned the lack of maintenance inside the cemetery, saying the dead must be respected as they once contributed to what South Africa is today.

“It’s ridiculous what’s happening. Even the employees here are frustrated because they want to sort this out but can’t.

“This should be a place where people come to pay their respects. It should be a place of serenity where you come and feel peace. When you see this, you just lose hope for South Africa,” De Araujo said.

Lack of maintenance

During the Benoni City Times’ visit to the cemetery, we found the water from the trench had formed a river flowing into the tar road.

The cemetery signage had fallen down and was buried in a heap of grass behind the gate. While the grass in some sections has been cut, there was evidence of burnt grass in other sections which has left some of the tombstones charred.

Further in, we found taps leaking, fallen electric poles and potholes on some roads. There were also beer bottles scattered around.

A municipal employee, who spoke to us anonymously, said they were also frustrated by the lack of action, adding the trench was reported to the city numerous times.

She apologised to residents, on behalf of the cemetery’s management, for not cordoning off the area, saying it was their mistake.

She revealed that the cemetery hasn’t had electricity since November following the theft of the main cable.

“I don’t even want to talk about the electricity. A cable has been stolen. We are forced to do our work outside because it’s cold inside.

“We don’t have computers. We have to do everything manually. We can’t even make tea. The issue was reported but we are still waiting,” she said.

The paper has sent a query to the city. We are waiting for a response.

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