Brixton Cemetery trapped in costly clean-up cycle
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo says repeated illegal dumping is draining maintenance resources, while calls grow for stronger enforcement and better perimeter security to protect the cemetery.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) says repeated illegal dumping at Brixton Cemetery is placing increasing pressure on already limited maintenance resources, creating a cycle where staff are forced to clean up waste, instead of improving and preserving one of Johannesburg’s oldest heritage cemeteries.
While acknowledging the cemetery’s deteriorating condition, JCPZ spokesperson Jenny Moodley said maintenance alone cannot resolve the problem without stronger enforcement and improved perimeter security. According to Moodley, illegal dumping remains a long-standing challenge, with waste repeatedly being deposited inside and along the cemetery’s perimeter. “The recurring illegal dumping places additional pressure on these resources. Every intervention required to repeatedly remove unlawfully deposited waste redirects capacity that could otherwise be used for horticultural maintenance, heritage landscape management, and general cemetery upkeep.”
Read more: Calls grow for urgent action as Brixton Cemetery faces dumping, vegetation, and security crises
She said inspections conducted found significant dumping around entrance points and perimeter areas, requiring immediate clean-up operations. JCPZ believes much of the dumping is linked to illegal occupation and informal recycling activities along sections of the cemetery boundary, where waste is later discarded inside the historic burial ground.
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While residents have questioned whether recent Pikitup disruptions worsened the situation, City Parks said illegal dumping has persisted, even during periods when refuse collection services were operating normally. JCPZ added that although improved fencing and perimeter protection would help curb illegal access, funding constraints remain a challenge. It also stressed that municipal by-law enforcement falls under the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and SAPS, while City Parks’ role is primarily maintaining the cemetery.
Moodley said the cemetery remains an important heritage site that should remain accessible to families, descendants, and researchers, but maintaining its dignity will require a co-ordinated response involving law enforcement, surrounding communities, and municipal departments.
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