Payne Farm residents in Glencoe still ‘not happy with graveyard project’
The road leading from Karel Landman Street to the new cemetery has been graded, while other roads in the area are in a treacherous condition.
Work has again started on the R12 million new Glencoe cemetery that was launched earlier this year with much fanfare amid a soil-turning ceremony.
Construction stopped as the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocation from central government ran out and was only replenished when the new tranche was received on July 1 at the start of all municipalities’ new financial year.
The project has raised the ire of residents in the Payne Farm area, who are adamant that they received no notification of the intention to build a new cemetery adjacent to their homes.
Residents who spoke to the Courier on Thursday again said that with the construction of the graveyard on a slope, they fear that water will wash through the area, with the possibility of washing away the graves – which could lead to more ‘problems’.
“This whole area, sloping down from the railway line, is a wetland area.
“In the rainy season, the water stands for days and there is a stream adjacent to the cemetery, which can easily flood and impact on the graves,” said one resident.
Ward 7 Councillor Salem Abdool previously said that the decision to build a cemetery in the Payne Farm area dates back to 2018 when the previous council was in power and before he was a councillor.
“According to the documentation, the consultants were appointed and objections were called for after a public notice was given.
“The consulting engineers would have done an environmental impact study and any objections raised would have been attended to – as per legislation.”
Residents claim that they were not involved in any discussions.
The project is said to have created around 30 temporary jobs from the ward.
Some residents said their rates had gone up ‘around 300% since the new rates evaluation’, but another woman in Francis Street said hers had been decreased after she had objected.
“We have no streetlights here since the December 18 storm. We fear that this graveyard will also attract undesirables to the area,” said a Fontein Street woman.
Cllr Abdool told the Courier that he had given a list of all the streetlights not working to the technical director, and Francis Street is part of the list.
“I will follow up and give feedback,” he said.
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