Exposed graveyards left for ruins
PARKMORE - A number of abandoned graveyards have been left for ruins at the Field and Study Park in Parkmore.
“To be honest, I was unaware of the grave site,” said Ward 103 councillor, Vincent Earp. “The site is within the property of City Parks and should be maintained by them.”
He said the graveyard is a part of our heritage and history and the site’s dignity should be maintained.
Concerned resident, Heather Oosthuizen is worried the graveyard is unprotected and no one is looking after it. “The summer rains have arrived and the area is sprouting,” she explained. “It also becomes quite overgrown in summer.”
Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for City Parks, said the grave site will be cleaned in the next two weeks. “The winter clean-up schedule is usually not maintained as regularly as the summer schedule. With summer coming up, it will be cleaned in the up-coming schedule.”
The various graves situated at the park are hidden under overgrown grass, shrubs and litter.
“There are actually quite a few clear head stones in the area, not just piles of stones,” explained Oosthuizen. “The graves seem to be arranged quite neatly in rows and there is even quite a clearly defined child’s grave.”
Oosthuizen also said she met with a retired archaeologist who told her that the area has to be carefully raked to clear the greenery away and document what is present at the graveyard.
“I am hoping that City Parks will take an interest in protecting the area as I believe it could be a tourist attraction and could have some heritage value,” added Oosthuizen.
Moodley said there is a number of old unrecorded grave sites all over the Johannesburg area.
She said a number of these informal graveyards are actually farm cemeteries. “These graves are not maintained as regularly as they should be,” said Moodley. “The grave sites border a conservation area, hence why it is not maintained as regularly.”
However, Moodley assured the graves at the Field and Study Park in Parkmore will be cleaned and maintained soon.
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