Resident lambastes CoE over cemetery

Community activist Lorraine Porter, whose father lays buried at Zuurfontein Cemetery, said she has had enough of the ill-treatment she received from the CoE.

“After two years of daily battles with various heads of department and ward councillors, I have had it,” said Porter.

“I am sick to death of being blocked, told lies and listening to fabricated stories.”

She said her fiasco began in January 2022, and things have been an uphill battle for her ever since.

Porter said everything is falling apart around the residents, who are continually fooled and palmed off by greedy politicians.

ALSO READ: Deteriorating cemetery is disheartening to residents of Kempton Park

“It is time for the people of Ekurhuleni to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough’.”

“It is also time for the taxpayers to know where all their tax monies are going, and that is certainly not to fix up the city,” said Porter.

She said she has now reached a point where she refuses to listen to anything politicians tell her.

“I want the relevant authorities to start being accountable for where our tax money is going, and I demand the state of CoE cemeteries be addressed immediately.”

“The individuals responsible for this need to be taken out of their high-paying power positions and replaced by people who want to make a difference,” she said.

According to Porter, the relevant authorities blocked her when she complained about services.

ALSO READ: Thembisa community cleans up Mooifontein Cemetery

“Blocking me when I complain seems to be the order of the day with these authorities, or they just give you an email address and ignore you.”

She said that over the past few years, numerous heads of departments, including Emmanuel Maphorogo, Mr Mboweni and Tsholofelo Koopedi, had blocked her.

“The appointed ward councillors and the CoE’s spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, also seem good at fabricating stories for the newspaper, with fake concern for the issues at the cemeteries.”

She said she contacted Dlamini, and he referred her to Mboweni and Koopedi, only for Dlamini to block her number afterwards.

“Next year is voting. Who do we vote for?” Porter asked.

“The current Ward Clr for the area is Tracy Lourenco. Her attitude is, clean it yourself. Alternatively, she involves one of her other councillors, trying to palm you off.

“We, the people with loved ones buried at Zuurfontein, had Afriforum come in last year to try to assist us with the clean-up, but they are not able to keep helping us, and they complain that nobody maintains their work, so it is a wasted effort.”

ALSO READ: Families forced to rebury loved ones as Moofontein Cemetery deteriorates

Porter questioned why those in government receive “big salaries”.

According to Porter, her efforts to get action at Zuurfontein Cemetery led to threats of legal action against her by Ward Clr Simon Lapping.

“I have been told that what I request of the councillors is illegal, and I can land myself in jail. I will not sit back and take any more of this.

“All because I would like my father’s resting place returned to how it used to look when he was buried at Zuurfontein Cemetery in Kempton Park.

“I don’t think my family or myself need the trauma of digging up my his coffin to bury it again elsewhere like others have had to endure,” she said.

“It does not affect the officials, so they are not interested in sorting it out.”

Porter said she recently visited the 40 vandalised graves at Mooifontein Cemetery with the Kempton Express, “not one person of authority was there to see the absolute disgrace of the place”.

“It is a crying shame that people have to revisit the pain of loss by lifting their loved ones’ coffins out of the ground and exhuming their bodies while these authorities will not even bother to lift a finger,” she said.

“Our problem is that we have too many selfish leaders. Their only interest being to fill their pockets and give nothing back, and they have no pride,” Porter added.

Lapping acknowledges a meeting was held at Zuurfontein Cemetery several months ago.

He said in attendance was Clr Tracy Lourenco, himself and Lorraine, who complained that councillors were not doing their jobs because they never instructed the Parks Department to perform their functions.

“Unfortunately, many residents have little understanding of the role of a councillor or the process regarding separation of powers.

“At no stage did I threaten her with legal action. However, I pointed out to her the limitations we, as councillors, have.

“I pointed out to her that it is a criminal offence for councillors to interfere or give instructions to municipal employees, as provided for in Section 119 (1) of the Municipal Systems Act. Please see the section below,” said Lapping.

He said a councillor who tries to influence the municipal manager, any other staff member or an agent of a municipality not to enforce an obligation in terms of this Act, any other applicable legislation or any by-law or a decision of the council of the municipality is guilty of an offence, and on conviction, liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.

“Furthermore, the Code of Conduct prohibits councillors from interfering in the workings of the municipality. Please refer to Section 11 of the Systems Act under the Code of Conduct for Councillors Intervention in Administration.”

Lapping said a councillor may not, except as provided by law, interfere in the management or administration of any department of the municipal council unless mandated by council, give or purpose to give any instruction to any employee of the council except when authorised to do so, obstruct or attempt to obstruct the implementation of any decision of the council or a committee by an employee of the council or encourage or participate in any conduct which would cause or contribute to maladministration in the council.

ALSO READ: Clean-up project kicks off at Bredell Cemetery

Lapping said it was unfortunate that these fake allegations were levelled against him.

“While I can understand the frustration of residents caused by 25 years of ANC misrule and control of the destruction of our beautiful cities, I wish to point out that we, as councillors, pride ourselves in holding the current administration to account through mechanisms at our disposal that are lawful.

“No councillor will participate in unlawful activities that some residents wish us to do.”

“Going forward, for councillors to be effective, they need the backing of their communities. One cannot lead without an army behind you. Should Lorraine really wish to be part of the solution, I would like to suggest the following,” he said.

Lapping suggested Porter set up an NGO/NPO of interested people to help look after Zuurfontein Cemetery. With this, she can engage with the Parks Department to highlight problems and become part of the solution.
“I am sure the councillor will back such an initiative.”

The Kempton Express sent an enquiry for comment to the CoE on December 4 but had received no reply by the time of going to print.