Following an outcry from the Springs community over the deteriorating condition of the Geduld Springs Cemetery, the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has appointed a contractor to cut the overgrown grass at the cemetery.

The workers began cutting on February 18. The cemetery will be cleaned section by section until the work is completed.

The contractor, Karabo Mokoena, explained that the team of 10 was sourced from the community to create employment.

In January, the Springs Advertiser reported on the cemetery’s neglected state, which posed a safety concern for families who wished to visit their loved ones.

The grass was overgrown, in some areas nearly 1.5m high, concealing many gravestones, making it difficult or impossible for families to locate the resting places of their loved ones.

The graveyard’s garden and Wall of Remembrance have both been vandalised. In the garden, stones have allegedly been moved illegally to access human ashes, which are then reportedly smoked by drug users.

On January 12, the Advertiser, accompanied by local security company ProSafe, met with Geduld CPF chairperson Jaco Nel and deputy chair Ian Saville to address the issue.

Saville stated that the cemetery was in the worst state he has ever witnessed since living in Springs for the past 35 years.

He had recalled how he struggled to bury his late wife in the family grave due to the lack of maintenance at the cemetery.

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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 Advertiser visited the site again on February 20, where ward councillor Thulani Simelane was present.

“The city has finally responded to the residents’ complaints, who have been unable to visit their loved ones. We are hoping that the maintenance will be consistent and that in future it should happen without people having to complain first,” Simelane said.

He urged the community to treat the cemetery with care, avoiding illegal dumping on the site.

“We condemn the acts of those who are vandalising or stealing tombstones and the fence, as this has a negative effect on the families who have laid their loved ones to rest here. This is one of the oldest cemeteries in Springs, so let us all treat it with respect,” he said.

ALSO CHECK: Residents demand intervention over shocking conditions at Geduld Springs Cemetery