Fence repairs underway at Stellawood Cemetery

FENCE repairs are underway at the Stellawood Cemetery after a storm left sections of the fence in ruins last year. Gaps in the fence were a security risk along Fenniscowles Road for months prior to the repair job.

Commenting on the repairs, spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, Msawakhe Mayisela said the new fence will reduce crime in the area.

“In recent times the fence was being used as an illegal entrance into the cemetery site. There was an increase in vandalism, drinking, stealing, killing and hiding. As we serve our communities with excellence, we realised that it was an eye sore to have open holes around the fence,” added Mayisela.

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“The fence will make the cemetery less prone to criminal activity,” he added.

Mayisela said the municipality subcontracted a company to build the new fence.

“We had only budgeted to repair and replace the fence in the Fielden Drive and Fenniscowles Road for 100 metres,” he said.

Ward 33 Councillor, Mmbatho Tembe said she had reported the broken fence to the municipality several times last year.

“The fence broke on Fenniscowles Road and Feilden Drive, so they needed to replace some of the fencing. Last year in December, I wrote my second motivation letter and finally it was approved and they got a contractor in and started filling in the gaps in the fence. I followed up in the beginning of February. In April they came in to rebuild the fence. They needed to remove and refit slanting fences and replace fencing in open gaps,” she said.

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“Hopefully this will deter people from vandalising the cemetery. There were also people drinking in the cemetery and vagrants sleeping there,” she added.

Tembe also raised concerns about the maintenance plan for the cemetery.

“I think this cemetery needs to have a proper maintenance plan when it comes to fencing and maintaining buildings. It’s one of the biggest cemeteries in the city,” said Tembe.

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