No respect for the dead
A lack of maintenance is becoming a common problem for cemeteries in Zululand.
RESPECT for the dead shows a respect for the living – or so the saying goes.
But this does not seem to apply at some of Zululand’s cemeteries.
The Empangeni and Mtunzini cemeteries are two prime examples where a total lack of respect is clearly evident.
Broken tombstones, smashed plaques and haphazard allocation of burial sites are becoming a common sight, and residents have had enough.
Some are even taking it upon themselves to maintain the cemetery where their loved ones are buried.
Making no headway in motivating the uMlalazi Municipality to take responsibility, Mtunzini resident Lomi Lourens, out of sheer frustration, has been doing maintenance work at the town’s cemetary for the past 11 years – all at her own expense.
‘Every Thursday I go to the cemetery with my gardener and we wash the graves, cut the lawn and generally maintain the cemetery. The municipality is supposed to at least come and remove the refuse that we collect, but as can be seen, it is just piling up.’ said Lourens.
‘Another worrying issue is the top section of the cemetery where random, unmarked burial plots are been created with what seems to be very little structure or planning taking place.’
According to uMlalazi Director of Community Services, Mr Nzuza, an agreement between Mtunzini Garden Services had been arranged in which one of their employees would maintain the cemetery when needed.
Nzuza added that he was not aware of the other issues raised, but would investigate the problem once all the facts had been obtained.Empangeni’s cemetery, which is maintained by an outside contractor, has its lawn cut and the leaves raked once a month in winter and twice a month in summer.
However, the problem is not with the graves, but rather the Wall of Remembrance. A number of plaques have been destroyed and the urns inside either smashed or stolen.
Reports that family members are responsible for this damage, especially in cases where families are immigrating or moving to another province has been attributed as the main reason for this damage to the plaques.
