Help restore Pretoria East Cemetery’s dignity, residents urged
Community co-operation is key to protecting the dignity of burial sites, according to the metro. Members of the public are asked to take photos or videos of illegal dumping and report it.
The metro has called on residents to help curb illegal dumping at Pretoria East Cemetery, as it says the community’s co-operation is vital in protecting the dignity of burial sites.
It implores residents to assist, as this will help deter crime.
The community previously raised concerns over the lack of maintenance and upkeep at the cemetery on Matt Street in Pretorius Park.
Residents are outraged by the lack of care for their loved ones’ final resting place, and concerned over safety, illegal dumping and vandalism.
They felt that the community had lost respect for the cemetery and that access control was considered weak, as people were able to come and dump their household waste and construction rubble there.
It is believed there is a beneficial element between officials and the people allowed to dump at the cemetery.
According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the municipality strongly condemned the dumping of waste and building material in cemeteries, describing the act as ‘truly objectionable and unacceptable’.
“Dumping material in an area meant to provide a dignified, lasting resting place is a callous act that tarnishes the reputation of the cemetery,” Mashigo said.
He said society and organisations need to work with the metro to combat this crime.
“The demands and expectations on the city increase daily, while the ability and desire by residents to pay is diminished. Community members cannot have this expectation if there is no willingness to assist in identifying these parties.”
Mashigo added that residents can play a key role in addressing the problem by reporting illegal dumping as soon as it happens.
“The city’s usual by-laws on illegal dumping are applicable, but catching people in the act is the biggest challenge. We appeal to the community to take pictures or video evidence of illegal dumping so the city can act on actionable intelligence,” he said.
He stressed that lasting solutions depend on co-operation between officials and the community.
“People who dump are part of the community, and the community knows each other. We need to work together and assist us in identifying the perpetrators,” he said.
While the metro has a scheduled cleaning programme that runs two to three times a year, Mashigo confirmed that resources had to be reprioritised to deal with the recent dumping incident outside of this cycle.
He said security remains a challenge due to limited resources, but discussions are underway with the TMPD to increase patrols and expand the use of CCTV cameras in the coming weeks.
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