A place usually associated with tranquillity, prayer and remembrance has left a scar on visiting and local families.
Whilst visiting the gravesites of loved ones on Saturday at about 11am, an elderly Pietermaritzburg couple was threatened and robbed of money.
A family member who reported it to the Estcourt News explains: “At the Keate Street cemetery the lady was pounced upon by a man that was in the cemetery demanding money or else they would be killed.
Having personal documents in her bag she held on to it and so was dragged between the gravestones until she let go of her bag.
She begged him to take whatever but to give her the bag. He emptied the contents, took the money, dropped the bag and ran into the bush near the dam.”
The resident said that when she visited the graveyard on Sunday, she saw two other women there and advised them to finish up and leave, saying that safety could be compromised.
In a second incident on Sunday at about 11.15am, a family of about 15 travelled in three cars to the Bank Road cemetery.
“When we entered we noticed three guys interfering with the gravesites.
They then started coming closer to our cars and one of the guys threw a panga over the car to his friend,” explained the resident who declined to be named.
She says by now, the group, which consisted of 13 women and two young boys was terrified.
“When they got to the car, they said that we should let them clean the graves. But we said no; we’ll do it ourselves, seeing that it was Mother’s Day. They then became aggressive so we quickly laid out flowers, didn’t even say a prayer and left,” she said.
Whilst exiting the cemetery, the family saw a lone woman making her way on foot into the cemetery.
“We were worried about her safety, so we called the police and reported it but we’re unsure if they arrived.
I would like the public to be aware of this incident. Don’t go there alone and maybe the police can patrol on weekends,” she suggested.