Residents seeking to pay their respects to those who have passed on were surprised to find the Heatherdale cemetery in Akasia in very poor condition.
Peet Labuschagne from Pretoria North said he went to the cemetery over the past weekend to place flowers at his son’s grave, but was greeted with a poor sight. “Usually I have someone who cleans my son’s grave, but he was on leave over the festive season and when I went to the grave this weekend it looked like a rubbish dump.”
Labuschagne said that the grass was too long even to walk around, and that the rubbish bins were overflowing. “It is a horrible experience to go to pay your respects and find such a horrible sight.”
Jodine van Aarde, who also went to visit the grave of a loved one, expressed a similar sentiment. “This is where people are laid to rest, and it is totally unacceptable that it is in this condition.”
Councillor Marnette Sutherland said that she also received complaints about the cemetery and had sent an enquiry to the municipality about its poor condition.
At the time of going to print, the Tshwane metro was unable to comment.
