Eersterust cemetery a hideout for criminals

Residents of Eersterust complained earlier this week that they have tried everything in their power to save the very few headstones left at their cemetery.

The few that are still standing have become playground for children living nearby.

The residents claimed that drug addicts were responsible for knocking down the headstones.

One of the residents, Mario van Wyk said it was unfortunate because all this happened before the eyes of the workers and security guards at the cemetery.

“The drug addicts are seen almost every day, roaming around the cemetery while children play in the cemetery,” said Van Wyk.

The drug addicts knocked down the tombstones to retrieve metal to steal and sell.

Mamelodi residents recently complained about the same issue of headstones being destroyed by unknown people and of an illegal dumping site at the graveyard.

Eric Shikobela said criminals were hiding at the Mamelodi West cemetery in section B3, terrorising people and not respecting the graves.

“The graveyard is a place where our forefathers and our loved ones rest,” said Shikobela.

“The graveyard has been turned into an illegal dumping site.”

He said the workers at the cemetery were the luckiest in the world.

“They do nothing and earn a salary. When they do work, they mix up graves and are rude to families,” he said.

Another resident, Sophie Jacobs said she regretted erecting a headstone for her grandfather.

“The headstone was knocked off. I got someone to fix it, but after a month, the headstone was missing. I’m very sad,” she said.

She said she reported the theft at the cemetery offices, but nothing had been done.

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said cemeteries that fell under region 6 maintenance and operations unit were maintained, including the Eersterust cemetery.

However, the maintenance for Eersterust cemetery could not be concluded due to intrusion by the “community local business forum”.

“The appointed service provider was threatened and law enforcement intervention was activated from relevant units such as the SAPS and the Tshwane metro police department. The ward councillor was also informed.

“The service provider managed to return to the site to continue with the scheduled maintenance but was, unfortunately, harassed and intimidated with firearms hence the service had to be withdrawn,” said Mashigo, adding that it was a challenge for cemetery officials to distinguish between drug users and normal cemetery visitors.

“As we all know, cemeteries are public entities and people move in and out throughout the day and due to budget constrains there is only one security guard for day shifts and one for night shift.”

Mashigo said that a high mast light was dysfunctional since it was vandalised by the community.

“The fence around the cemetery was also stolen. The regional maintenance team resorted to removing the remaining part for safekeeping,” said Mashigo.

“The culprits who stole the fence were apprehended and released within three days, hence the decision to remove the remaining part out of fear that they might return.”

He said the metro was exploring the possibility of a boundary wall but said this would depend on the budget available from the environment and agriculture management department as it will form part of capex (Capital Projects).

“A security analysis has revealed that the cemetery cannot be entirely enclosed as this will transform it into a criminal hub, considering the criminal elements within the area.”

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram