Sterkfontein Cemetery pleasant again
"I wasn’t even able to reach my father-in-law’s grave. I barely saw it as the grass was so long, and when I reached it, it was unrecognisable."
It’s hard to pay your respects to a lost loved one, but it’s even harder to pay your respects to a lost loved one in a field of weeds and overgrown grass.
However, there is light at the end of this tunnel.
Recently the News asked members of the public about their experiences of the condition of the Sterkfontein Cemetery, how often they visit and why, in a Facebook post.
Amanda van Zyl, whose father-in-law and son are buried in the cemetery, said that she was very shocked and disappointed when visiting the cemetery several months ago.
“I wasn’t even able to reach my father-in-law’s grave. I barely saw it as the grass was so long, and when I reached it, it was unrecognisable,” she said.
As the grass grew taller and taller, she had to hire a personal gardening service to maintain the graves.
“The graves weren’t pleasant to visit, and sometimes it was just sad. We reached a point where we couldn’t afford the maintenance anymore, so we had no choice but to stop visiting, or at least, not without gardening tools,” Amanda said.
However, there is hope for Amanda and all other cemetery visitors. When the News paid a visit, we saw a clear cemetery, with maintenance workers at the far end tidying up the last few rows of graves.
The News also tried to obtain feedback from the alleged new manager of the cemetery, but our calls went unanswered.
Nevertheless, Krugersdorpers will be thrilled to hear that the cemetery is being restored to its original pleasant state.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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