This comes after 77 graves were desecrated on April 25. The Herald reported at the time that the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) had asked for residents whose family or loved ones were buried in the cemetery, to visit the site and ascertain whether their graves have been affected.

At the time Sgt Maurice Nkhwashu, a  spokesperson at the Tzaneen Police Station, confirmed that a case was opened on Thursday, April 28 with case number 297/4/2022 and that an investigation is underway. As far as the Herald could establish, no one has been held accountable for the desecrated graves and it is unknown who the culprits are.

André Moss, FF Plus PR councillor in the GTM, took it upon himself to organise the repair of the graves. “The community and businesses took hands to have the graves restored,” he told the Herald.

Also read: Search on for grave vandals

“We would like to extend a hearty thanks to Ryan Scaterfield and his team from Thabaletsi Tombstones and Meraki Granite Tops. They really went above and beyond and restored a total of 67 graves and promised to repair the others in the week to come. They sent a total of twenty skilled workers to assist the community and also assisted in carting away branches and leaves that were cut down. It really was a huge effort,” Moss said.

“We really appreciate this huge gesture. I would also like to thank Busy Bee for cutting the parameters of the cemetery and their eagerness to assist by bringing back the garden to its full potential,” he said. He also thanked Ada Distributors for the plastic bags for the rubbish, Fountis Ro for refreshments, and Mr. Build for providing the cement. “We appreciate each and every community member who offered their time to assist in the clean-up campaign, together we can stop the decay,” he concluded.