Secretary of the KwaDukuza Residents Forum, Riaan Verster writes:

I decided to inspect the Vlakspruit cemetery for myself, considering that R62-million of KwaDukuza’s budget was spent on it.

I wanted to see this “world class” cemetery. Was I disappointed. Disgusted is more like it.

Just locating the cemetery was a huge challenge. There is not a single solitary sign to direct you and it took me an hour of asking locals for directions.

The little stretch of tar that takes you there is well hidden between the Eskom Avon substation and the Avon peaking plant.

I was greeted by a solitary security guard in a shoddy little shack of a guardhouse.

The cemetery is divided into an “active” section and an “abandoned” section.

The abandoned section has tarred roads, a huge parking lot and some gravesites.

These areas are in such a state of miserable disrepair that it is clear that whoever manages the cemetery has given up on this area – filled gravesites and all.

The tar roads and their verges are being reclaimed by nature as grass grows over them and some sections have so much sand over it that a normal car would not be able to pass.

The huge abandoned parking lot was clearly constructed by a ‘tenderpreneur’ who had no intention of ensuring proper drainage, and it has now collapsed alongside its western rim.

It looks as if the sand embankment that held it up has now washed its sand over a number of the graves below the parking lot.

There is a 5-6 meter gap in the cemetery wall, which vagrants use to enter and leave. It begs the question: what is the purpose of the lone security guard at the gate?

Unless he is just there to give directions?

Anyone standing up at an IDP/budget meeting and saying with a straight face that the R62-million invested in Vlakspruit cemetery is money well spent is either taking us for fools or is himself/herself a fool.

If memory serves, this is exactly what the KDM’s executive director for community services, Siyabonga Khanyile, told us about three months ago at one of these meetings.

KwaDukuza municipality spokesperson Sipho Mkhize responds:

The Vlakspruit Cemetery project was constructed in four phases spanning from the 2015/16 to 2018/19 financial year.

The project was overseen by professional service providers and consultants from inception to completion.

It must be stressed that the municipality is satisfied that value for money was derived from this project and all the expenditure relating to Vlakspruit was duly audited.

Subsequently, the cemetery has been functional and used for the its intended purpose.

Not all land is immediately required, burial space is used incremental as such there is no section that was abandoned.

KwaDukuza experienced heavy rains and floods in April that damaged various infrastructure.

At Vlakspruit Cemetery a portion of the road going to the cemetery was partly damaged, the walls on the side of the road collapsed and the bank became unstable.

A portion of the access road to the cemetery collapsed and the drainage pipes were exposed and damaged.

The 900 diameter single pipe crossing was inadequate to accommodate the volume of water coming from the hill above resulting in the water flowing over the road and eroding part of the road and bank/headwalls.

Soil liquefaction occurs when waterlogged soil behaves like a liquid. Many hundreds of cubes of material were washed away creating an unsafe situation.

The 70 metre long parking area was damaged as a result. Many hundreds of cubes of material was washed away onto the planned grave sites and road below.

KDM has identified remedial work to restore the facility to its original state.

A business plan has been submitted to the Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs department requesting funding.

Ed – Both letters have been shortened.

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