East cemetery prioritised in week-long maintenance

Deputy Mayor and MMC responsible for Region 6 (Eastern), Eugene Modise, has assured residents that the metro remains committed to
preserving the dignity of cemeteries.

Modise said teams have carried out a week-long clean-up at the Pretoria East Cemetery on Matt Street.

“Continuous attention was given to Matt Street Cemetery in Ward 101, where maintenance work was carried out throughout the week,” Modise said.

He said cemeteries are sacred spaces that require consistent care, and the city has reaffirmed its commitment to preserving their dignity.

This comes after residents voiced frustration over the poor state of the cemetery, raising concerns over illegal dumping, vandalism, weak access
control, and neglect.

Residents raised concerns over the lack of maintenance and upkeep at the cemetery previously.

Many had said the site no longer reflected respect for their loved ones’ final resting place, with rubble and household waste being
discarded on the grounds.

Some residents had also alleged that officials are turning a blind eye to dumping activities.

However, the metro previously called on residents to stop illegal dumping at the cemetery.

Tshwane metro said the community’s co-operation is vital in protecting the dignity of burial sites and to combat this crime.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo previously said the municipality strongly condemns 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 city 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.

Mashigo stressed that lasting solutions depend on co-operation between officials and the community.

“People who dump are part of the community and the community know each other. We need to work together and [residents must] assist us in identifying the perpetrators,” Mashigo 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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