After months of frustration, overgrown grass and limited access to graves, residents in Pretoria North are expressing a sense of relief as the Tshwane metro begins grass-cutting operations at Heatherdale Cemetery.

The intervention, carried out by the metro’s Parks Department, marks what officials have described as the final grass-cutting cycle for the current financial year.

While the move has been welcomed, it follows sustained public anger over the deteriorating condition of both Heatherdale and Pretoria North cemeteries, which residents say had been neglected for months.

For many families, visiting the graves of loved ones had become a distressing experience.

Overgrown vegetation, unkempt pathways and a general sense of abandonment left residents feeling that sites of deep emotional and historical significance were not being treated with the dignity they deserve.

Local resident Bester Marius previously said the situation had been unacceptable for a long time.

“It was heart breaking and frustrating at the same time. You go there to pay your respects, but you can’t even reach the graves because of the long grass.

“We pay a lot of money for these burial sites. The least we expect is proper maintenance and respect.”

Cindy Marias described the conditions as deeply upsetting, saying, “For months, it felt like our loved ones had been forgotten. The grass was out of control, and the whole place just looked neglected.

“Seeing the cleaning finally happening now gives us some relief, but it should never have gotten this bad in the first place.”

The growing dissatisfaction had also drawn the attention of Ward 2 councillor Quentin Meyer, who previously raised alarm over the state of the Pretoria North Cemetery, describing it as shocking and unacceptable.

He highlighted the historical importance of the site, noting that it contains graves of early residents and individuals who played a role in shaping the community.

Residents argue that both cemeteries hold not only personal value but also form part of Pretoria North’s shared heritage, making their upkeep a matter of public importance.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo acknowledged the concerns and attributed the delays in maintenance to unusually high and persistent rainfall, which disrupted scheduled grass-cutting programmes.

He added that maintenance teams had been prioritising other municipal facilities, including schools, before returning to cemeteries.

Mashigo also noted that cemeteries are inspected weekly and included in a broader municipal maintenance programme.

While the metro has committed to addressing maintenance challenges and prioritising the historically significant Pretoria North Cemetery in the coming month, residents remain cautiously optimistic.

“The municipality always promise to clean the space but they don’t keep up their promise. Chilly conditions are near and they have to make sure that they clean up debris to avoid having them pile up in winter,” said Marias.

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