Concerns over safety, poorly maintained cemeteries sparks activity
Metro is sending teams to cemeteries, after many complaints about poor maintenance.
The Tshwane metro on February 22 has begun maintenance operations for cemeteries ahead of the Easter period.
The clean-up of Pretoria’s cemeteries is due to concerns about criminality and the safety of visitors.
To quell fears, the metro visited and maintained the Atteridgeville, Heatherley, Silverton and a cemetery in Simon Vermooten Road, Pretoria east.
[IN PICTURES] This morning our Urban Management teams are on the ground cleaning and maintaining cemeteries in Atteridgeville. MMC Ofentse Madzebatela is leading the teams. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/w7hU68SJgL
— Cilliers Brink (@CilliersB) February 23, 2024
The maintenance is being undertaken by the urban management teams across various parts of Tshwane after residents raised grievances over poorly maintained grave sites in the past months.
Finance MMC Jacqui Uys said the maintenance project was being carried out due to Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink being approached by an influx of residents concerning the poor state of cemeteries.
“The mayor has been approached by numerous people across the city who are concerned as they want to visit their families, however, the cemeteries aren’t well-kept.”
Uys said Brink, in responding to the concerns, undertook a drive to maintain the cemeteries as part of a urban management plan, which seeks to accelerate service delivery on major routes in Tshwane.
She said the drive would look at maintaining public spaces such as parks, key buildings and cemeteries.
Uys said further that Tshwane did not have the cash to maintain all areas in Tshwane.
“Tshwane has been clear that we do not have the cash we would like to have to be able to deliver all services, however with the money we do have, we will focus on specific services and routes mainly used by our residents.”
She said the metro would continue with maintenance work in key areas such as cutting grass, repairing streetlights and conducting other service delivery operations.
Residents have been fuming for several months about poor maintenance of cemeteries.
In Nellmapius the condition of the Heatherley cemetery was a burning issue.
EFF members in Region 5 inspected the cemetery recently and found rubbish all over and overgrown grass covering graves, while offices on the premises were closed and no security guard was in sight.
Party Sub Region 5 leader Bongani “King” Ramontja said the inspection came after residents who are not allowed to erect head tombstones at the cemetery complained.
“We are calling on Tshwane metro to clean the graveyard and appoint a contractor to pour berm strips (concrete slab lines) on which the headstones are to be erected.
We have received lots of complaints from the community members that graveyards are not clean.”
Ramontja said family members also complained they have been barred from erecting head tombstones on the graves of their loved ones for the past three years because the metro had failed to appoint a contractor to pour the strips.
Some families said they had been prevented by the guards from pouring their own and threatened with the seizure of their tombstones.
“How long should we wait for Tshwane to pour the concrete slab lines?
“Heatherley cemetery has been neglected by the Tshwane DA-led municipality, which is just unacceptable,” Ramontja said.
“Families who come to pay their respects to their loved ones deserve a clean and well-maintained space. They say the overgrown grass not only looks unkempt but also provides cover for thieves to lurk and rob families who visit the graves of their property.”
The lack of maintenance of the Zandfontein cemetery in Pretoria has also left visitors outraged.
“This is the most dreadful thing I’ve ever seen,” said disgruntled Pretoria West resident, Gert Stander.
The elderly pensioner buried his father in Zandfontein a few years ago.
Stander had to bury his mother next to his father in January, only to find the cemetery in “a terrible condition”.
“This is what we vote for. They tell us to vote for this party, vote for that party but the result is the same either way. No party is doing anything to address this,” said Stander.
“The grass is allowed to grow shoulder-high, in some cases completely covering the graves and tombstones, rendering the grave identification numbers unusable.”
Stander and some fellow residents resolved to bring weed eaters and tools to cut the grass leading to the pensioner’s father’s burial spot, in preparation for the arrival of his mother.
“Imagine having to visit one of your family members in a space like this. Some may say that I’m overreacting but I believe this is not right. This has nothing to do with race either, it’s everyone’s problem, it affects all of us,” Stander continued.
Among other complaints is the lack of perimeter fencing around the premises, leaving the graves open for vandalism and theft.
Other problems include mourners falling victim to criminals who use the tall grass as cover for their attacks, staff who have not been paid in months, and non-disposal of cut grass.
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