Cemetery complaints to UN
The cleaning-up operation at the Pretoria East Cemetery could have far-reaching consequences for the Tshwane metro because the way in which the work had been done, will be reported to the United Nations human rights commission
Stephané Bothma
A complaint about the “insensitive, inhumane and callous” manner in which the Tshwane metro had cleaned the Pretoria East cemetery will be taken to the highest level – the United Nations human rights commission.
Paula Theunissen, whose mother’s grave was damaged when heavy earth-moving equipment was used to clear areas between headstones in preparation of planting grass, said she would not let the issue slide.
She said she had not been given any pre-notification that the metro intended to clear areas between tombstones and was heartbroken and devastated by the manner in which the work was carried out.
Theunissen was one of several people who went to the cemetery on Wednesday morning when Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Solly Msimanga visited the graveyard to speak to residents whose loved ones had been buried there.
Before the visit to the cemetery, DA councillor for the area Lex Middelberg had laid criminal charges against the metro leadership, among others municipal manager Jason Ngobeni for the common law crime of “violating a grave”.
Surrounded by a delegation of DA members, Middelberg said the charges had been laid at Garsfontein police and that he would follow up to ensure a docket had been opened.
He stressed that the DA was not against the cleaning of the cemetery – which was long overdue – but about the insensitive and completely inhumane manner in which the work had been carried out.
“We are not laying charged of malicious damage to property, but of violation of a grave,” he said, explaining that the law clearly stated that any grave should be respected and that it should be treated in a dignified manner.
“This was not done by the Tshwane metro who showed a blatant disregard for the graves and therefore also for the families and friends of those buried at the Pretoria East cemetery,” Middelberg said.
Supporters carried placards stating “Save our graveyards.”
At the cemetery Msimanga said that he felt for those whose loved ones’ graves had been violated by the metro’s actions.
“For the families it is like opening up old wounds again,” he said.
“Somebody will be held responsible for this,” he vowed, adding that he had expected Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa would at least be present to apologise.
Tshwane spokesman Lindela Mashigo earlier stated that the Pretoria East cemetery was a berm category cemetery and therefore only allowed headstones and not any grave plots.
Also read:
Criminal charges over “grave violation”
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