Residents have raised serious concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Geduld Springs Cemetery, describing it as neglected and unsafe.

They report that overgrown grass, in some areas nearly 1.5m high, has concealed many gravestones, making it difficult or impossible for families to locate the resting places of their loved ones.

According to residents, the cemetery has also become a safety risk, with reports of drug use and people sleeping among the graves.

The graveyard’s garden and wall of remembrance have both been vandalised. In the garden, residents are met with a disturbing discovery: stones have allegedly been moved illegally to access human ashes, which are then reportedly smoked by drug users.

Upon inspection, several stones were found removed, with empty containers that once held these ashes. They say fallen trees have blocked access roads, further limiting safe entry to the site.

The Springs Advertiser, accompanied by local security company ProSafe, met with Geduld chairperson Jaco Nel and deputy Ian Saville to address the issue, which residents say has been ongoing for years.

“I have been visiting this graveyard for the past 35 years, and this is the worst state it has ever been,” Saville said.

Last year, this publication reported on Saville’s struggle to bury his late wife in the family grave due to the lack of maintenance at the cemetery.

As a result, he was forced to purchase an alternative burial site at Petersfield Cemetery. Saville added that, due to continued neglect, he now has no option but to clean his family’s grave himself.

“The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) promised to cut the grass, but it only happens once a year. The graveyard manager told me maintenance was scheduled before last Christmas, but that never happened,” he said.

Saville also mentioned Geduld pensioner Frans Roestoff, who took it upon himself to clean the site last year, as well as the CPF, which has stepped in on multiple occasions.

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“We can take the initiative to do it ourselves, but it is expensive and difficult to maintain. When the rain comes, the grass grows taller, and we are back to square one,” he explained.

Nel and Saville said they believe the ongoing neglect has stripped the cemetery of its dignity, prevented families from visiting in peace and placed the surrounding community at risk.

“It’s not safe – there are homeless people who sleep here, the walls and gates have been broken, there is no security. Just the thought that your family member is buried under 2m of grass is unpleasant,” Saville said.

Nel added, “There is even alleged prostitution taking place here at night. How can anyone choose a place like this to bury their family?”

They called on the CoE to take action to maintain and restore the dignity the site once had. This publication sent an enquiry to the CoE on January 12, which had yielded no response by the time of publication.

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