The graveyard boys
Three nyaope boys were arrested on Thursday 18 September for vandalizing the Tokologo Cemetery.
The two boys allegedly stole metal plates from the cemetery and sold it to a nearby scrapyard for money for a quick fix of nyaope.
On the same day ornaments, that were also allegedly stolen from graveyards, where brought to the Observer by a shop owner to whom a young boy tried to sell the ornaments to.
The Tokologo community got a tip off from residents living near the scrapyard where the suspects allegedly sold the grave metal plates for R42.00 however the scrapyard owner denied the allegations.
Lindiwe Mahlangu and Maxwell Sithole, who are community leaders, went to the graveyard and were astonished. They discovered that almost all the graves’ metal plates were removed, they immediately informed the public and the search for the suspects started.
“We found the three boys in Extension 5 after a tip off,” said Lindiwe. They have no respect for the dead she added.
The boys took them to the scrapyard where they sold the grave metal plates, the material was then retrieved. The boys were then taken to Tokologo with the Metal plates and then the community gave them a beating. The community only phoned the police much later after they had the nyaope boys walk from street to street announcing their crime.
The grave metal plates are currently at the police station in Mhluzi.
The two suspects Thabang Skhosane and Mandla Mabena appeared in court on Monday on charges of the violation of graves. One of the three suspects was released because there was no evidence connecting him to the crime.
Godfrey Ketwa of Everst funerals said families must come forward to get the correct grave numbers in order, for them to be able to identify the graves in the future.
Captain Khanyisile Zwane advises undertakers and families to consider using plastic instead of metal for the plates.
