GMM launches cemetery clean-up
The intervention followed public complaints about the poor state of cemeteries across the GMM’s jurisdiction.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) cleaned up and did road maintenance at the eMbalenhle Ext 14 cemetery as part of its ongoing service delivery initiative, Ijima Lokuhlwengisa, championed by Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma.
The intervention followed public complaints about the poor state of cemeteries across the GMM’s jurisdiction. Zuma reaffirmed that maintaining and cleaning cemeteries remained a top priority for his administration to ensure these resting places reflected the dignity and respect they deserved.
“As the municipality, we urge residents to support these efforts by maintaining the cleanliness of their family gravesites, especially during the rainy season,” said Zuma.
He added that similar clean-up and maintenance would roll out to other cemeteries in the municipality. Zuma appealed to residents, particularly those living near cemeteries, not to dump illegally in those areas.
Zuma said Ijima Lokuhlwengisa was a comprehensive service delivery programme to deploy all municipal resources to address service delivery backlogs.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the current condition of many cemeteries and roads, attributing the problems to inadequate supervision and poor staff performance.
Last month, the mayor issued a directive that all maintenance work at eMzinoni cemeteries be complete by the end of April. He also instructed the relevant departments to monitor the execution of these tasks and ensure they were of a high standard.
“I was disturbed by complaints about poor service delivery, unnecessary delays and unacceptable behaviour from some employees. I urged the municipal workers to change their attitude and ensure discipline is at the centre of service delivery,” said Zuma.
He warned that underperforming municipal workers failing to take their responsibilities seriously would face disciplinary action.
Zuma concluded by emphasising that Ijima Lokuhlwengisa would serve as a key mechanism for monitoring and improving service delivery across the municipality under the direct supervision of his office.
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