State of public areas a concern
Over the past few weeks Nelspruit Post has received a number of complaints about the state of public areas in the city.
The paper asked City of Mbombela spokesman, Joseph Ngala, to explain the maintenance procedures for two such areas; the city’s old cemetery and the small piece of land adjacent to Van Riebeeck Park swimming pool.
The Mbombela Old Cemetery has long been a source of controversy with members of the public expressing their concerns over the condition of the graves.
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Concerned resident Ossie Gardee recently wrote to Lowveld Media after accompanying a foreign visitor to pay respects to a departed family member.
“The Muslim cemetery, which was recently desecrated by body snatchers, was neat and tidy with secure gates and fences. It is maintained by the Nelspruit Muslim Burial Service,” Gardee wrote.
Having paid our respects, we decided to visit the other part of the cemetery too. Our sadness turned to shock and, dare I say, utter sadness at the sight before us. The cemetery had been forgotten. It was desolate and strewn with trash.”
Ngala said it was the responsibility of the parks and cemeteries section to maintain the grounds.
“The City of Mbombela maintains all of its cemeteries the same way on a schedule basis. (The municipality) is looking at implementing a revitalisation strategy, focusing on the aesthetic appearance of cemeteries under its control,” he said.
Another man sent Nelspruit Post photos of the small piece of land next to the Van Riebeeck Park swimming pool and Nelspruit Tennis Club.
Often the bins are overflowing, and there are empty drink bottles and other rubbish strewn throughout the parking lot. He also complained that waste-removal workers only remove black bags of rubbish and any overflow is left on the ground.
Ngala again explained that the area is cleaned, the grass is cut and the litter is picked up by the municipality’s community services section as per a schedule.
Waste is collected, refuse put into bags where applicable, and removed as per the schedule. Residents are urged to ensure that refuse is always put into black bags,” he said.
He added that it is also the community services department’s responsibility to fill the public bins with black bags.
