The Tshwane metro has planned a meeting with police and metro police to put a permanent stop to criminal activities at a Moot cemetery.
This comment was made after residents recently expressed their concerns about the ongoing vandalism and illegal dumping at the Eersterust Cemetery.
“Criminals also roam freely in the cemetery because it is not properly fenced and secured,” said resident and former ward councillor, Winston Campbell.
“The gates have been stolen long ago and just never replaced.”
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He said another grave problem at the cemetery was the pollution of graves.
“The cemetery is a sacred place where residents’ loved ones are buried,” he said.
Another resident, Tessa Layte, said drug users gathered at the cemetery to take drugs.
“It’s no longer safe to come here,” she said.
“People are regularly robbed.”
She said it was the norm to walk over the rubbish to get to the graves.
“Something needs to be done urgently,” she said.
Campbell said the cemetery was nearing capacity.
“The Eersterust cemetery, which was originally and mainly intended for the residents of Eersterust, is rapidly running out of space,” he said.
“In that respect, it was expanded to the Magaliesberg Reef northwards a few years ago.”
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said all cemeteries in Pretoria were cleaned before and after the Easter weekend.
“The last cemetery was cleaned just before the winter,” he said.
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“Otherwise, the cemeteries are cleaned monthly, depending on the condition.”
Mashigo said the Eersterust cemetery was cleaned again in May.
“Our regional office was fortunate to receive some EPWP workers from the surrounding area who also helped with cleaning,” he said.
He said another clean-up was planned.
“We also scheduled a meeting with police and metro police to deliberate on future plans in terms of criminal activity,” he said.
“However, we will continue to report every incident to the authorities for assistance.”
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