Down to the last brushcutter

THERE is a spectral grassy veil that lingers over Vryheid Cemetery.

Approaching the entrance, one might be forgiven for assuming that this corner of Vryheid has been forgotten and abandoned, left to grow wild and unkempt. Upon entry, however, further inspection will reveal that, in some parts of the seemingly derelict burial ground, some work has been done.

It appears that groundskeeper, Bertie Slabbert, and his team of only two workers, have managed to figure out a way to tackle the problem of maintenance in a somewhat planned pattern.

“We only have one brushcutter left,” says Slabbert, “but we try to trim and neaten the areas around where there are going to be funerals. If there’s a funeral to be held, I usually pull my guys from the area they are cutting so that they can make the gravesite presentable for the funeral.”

“I don’t know what will happen if this brushcutter packs up,” he adds. “The lawnmowers that were sent in for repairs two years ago are still standing at the shop because they haven’t been paid for…”

Pleas from the workers at Vryheid Cemetery for equipment appear to have fallen on deaf ears, as Slabbert concedes, “We just can’t get the equipment and we have to make a plan with the little bit that we have. They just tell us ‘there’s no money.’ I can’t even get the tyres on my bakkie replaced.”

Slabbert explained that he sometimes fetched contract workers, utilised as street cleaners by the municipality, to assist with the digging of graves, to lighten the unrealistically heavy workload.

“These jobs are available,” said one of the workers. “We are doing the work. We don’t understand why they don’t employ us as permanent staff.”

A visitor to the cemetery, who has loved ones buried there, revealed that she had taken responsibility for the neatening and upkeep of their gravesites as the municipality was doing nothing.

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