Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo buff up security at the Braamfontein Cemetery

To combat future vandalism at the Braamfontein Cemetery, the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has buffed up its security personnel and measures at the burial site.
Last year, more than 4 000 ash walls were damaged by vandals at the cemetery.

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JCPZ has worked tirelessly in collaboration with the Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries with more than 40 volunteers and contractors, to restore the ash walls which were unveiled to the media on October 29.

JPCZ managing director Thanduxolo Mendrew said, “Six additional security personnel in the cemetery who will do a 24-hour shift were deployed and a dedicated security team with k9 units to patrol and deter criminal activity. We have also put solar lights for increased visibility at night.”
Friends of Johannesburg Cemetries’ Nicola Noble said the restoration process was time-consuming and required a lot of help.

“The process took a long time because each ash plaque had to be worked on individually and volunteers had to look at registers for the records of the ash plaques in physical books and online,” she said.

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Mendrew added cemeteries and crematoria were sacred places with profound significance which served as reminders of our shared humanity, cycle of life, and the connections that bonded us across generations.

“They are not only final resting places, they are reflections of our history, values, and cultures. Each tombstone and plaque on the memorial wall tell a story, a story of love, sacrifice, and remembrance.”

He added that by visiting these sites, we honoured the memories of those who came before us, fostering a sense of continuity that transcends time.

“Crematoria provide families with an option to honour their loved ones in a personal and meaningful way. These spaces are designed to facilitate healing, reflection, and connection for the departed and those left behind as custodians of these sacred sites. We, as JCPZ, and the communities we serve have a shared responsibility to take care of them.”

The Braamfontein Cemetery is one of Johannesburg’s oldest cemeteries with its first burial taking place in 1888. There are several memorials in this cemetery including the granite memorial which dates to 1896. This was erected in honour of 71 people who died in an explosion at the Braamfontein station in February of that year.
Another memorial is that of Enock Sontonga, the composer of the national anthem who died in 1905.

“Today we are witnessing the first step of our response to vandalism, which is the physical restoration but the aspect of vandalism remains with us as JPCZ. The general moral decay of our society exposes misunderstandings of cemeteries and will take all of society to ensure that cemeteries are respected and persevered,” concluded Mendrew.

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