Muni puts measures in place to secure graveyards
Residents in Musina say that the situation at the local graveyards leaves much to be desired.
LIMPOPO – Graveyards are supposed to be peaceful final resting places for those who have departed the world of the living.
This, however, is not the case with cemeteries at Musina where the dead seem to have been buried and forgotten. These are the cemeteries where many prominent people are buried, among them the famous late Orlando Pirates star, Lesly Manyathela and many freedom fighters.
These graveyards have been turned into havens for criminals who hide their loot and rob relatives of the dead of their valuables when they visit the graves. One of the community members, Rodney Mukwevho, said the situation at the town’s cemeteries leaves much to be desired.
“We buried our loved ones here and we expect them to rest in peace but the situation is pathetic. The place has deteriorated and is no longer what it used to be. Dense bushes and trees growing on graves are now the order of the day.
“The area has turned into a hiding place for thugs where they lay in wait for victims. They also hide their loot here and this is quite disturbing,” said Mukwevho. He indicated that it was disturbing to see the graves of freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of the country being neglected.
“We have on numerous occasions engaged the municipality on the issue but our pleas fell on deaf ears. The Musina Municipality should have full time staff take care of the graveyards. We have many youths here who are unemployed and could fill those positions,” he said.
Another community member who resides at Nancefield and wishes to remain anonymous, confirms that the graveyard has become a dangerous place.
“The cemetery has become a hiding place for Magumaguma and illicit cigarettes smugglers. It is tall grass and trees everywhere and snakes are constant visitors to our homes. We even hear gun shots at night and the municipality is not hearing our plight,” she said.
Musina Municipality Spokesperson, Wilson Dzebu acknowledged that they have some challenges in the graveyards.
“We received large quantities of rain recently. Although we do have staff who are responsible for ensuring that our graveyards are debushed and kept clean at all times, we are struggling as the areas that were debushed have overgrown grass due to the recent rains. We are, however, still clearing the area. We cannot simply cut off trees as trees are an important part of our biodiversity and their benefits far outweigh their use by thugs for hiding.
“We do have a project that is underway that will include fencing and this along with the involvement of law enforcement should keep thugs out of our cemeteries,” he said.
