Graveyard now like a jungle
Eersterust cemetery is in bad condition as the municipality fails to maintain it.
Thato Mahlangu
Eersterust cemetery is becoming like a jungle for visitors.
Residents said this week it had become an ordeal to find a grave in the overgrown graveyard. To make matters worse, criminals were constantly lurking in the vicinity.
Families felt that their loved ones were not respected by the Tshwane metro because the cemetery was being neglected.
They complained about weeds and grass taking over the graveyard to a point where it had become difficult to locate a tombstone.
Resident Daphne Vein said locals had raised the matter with community leader Jacomina Moore, but nothing had been done.
“We have tried to engage our community leaders who have been talking to the metro but are still waiting to hear from them on solutions regarding the matter,” said Vein.
“How are we supposed to visit our departed loved ones when their final resting place looks like this? How disgusting. The place is filthy, clearly not given any attention. Those responsible should surely be ashamed of themselves.”
Moore could not be reached for comment.
Another resident, Sheila Arendse, said people had cleaned the cemetery themselves a few months ago but the weeds and grass were back.
“This is totally unacceptable. This looks more like a dumpsite than a graveyard,” said an angry Kenneth Petersen, a resident.
Arendse said locals had difficulty finding the graves of their relatives as the grass was too high.
Some residents also complained about the theft of steel engravings and numbers from tombstones.
“It is not only the maintenance of the cemetery but also a lack of security in the vicinity of the cemetery that we worry about,” said Roxanne Pekeur.
Jamie-Lee Rademeyer, who lives on Floksie Road near the cemetery, said the so-called security presence at the cemetery did not mean much.
“What I see are men in uniform who do nothing about guarding the graves. If security had been doing a good job, why is there so much crime here with people selling or smoking drugs?” asked an angry Rademeyer.
“They sit on top of the graves, smoke joints and just chill as if it is some recreation park.”
Stephinah Modipa, a B3 resident in Mamelodi, said she often used the cemetery as a short cut.
She complained that she always had to be on the lookout for tsotsis roaming the area.
“Last week, a Mamelodi man was stripped naked after receiving a call to come to the cemetery on a false job promise. He was called by his friend who had arranged the attack with tsotsis.”
Eersterust local drug action committee chairperson Desiree Fischer also expressed concern over the abuse of the cemetery.
“Our children are doing drugs and they use the graveyard as a place to trade from.”
On Tuesday morning, workers were seen cutting grass at the edge of the cemetery, but residents said this was the only spot that was ever being cleared.
The metro has not responded to enquiries by the time of going to press.
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