Business owner finds way to track stolen tombstones
Xolani Ndwalane (28), the owner of a tombstone business, says he has found a way to ensure that tombstone thieves never win.
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KwaThema – “Many families fall victim when the tombstones of their loved ones are stolen from the cemetery.
“We have had to look to technology to help us track them down.”
He says many families have become reluctant to spend a lot of money on beautiful tombstones because they fear they will be stolen.
The granite worker says he has figured it out.
Also read: Tombstone theft is on the rise
“A QR code, just like a bar code, is unique to each product.
“If we add a chip as a tracking device, the stone can be located and identified.”
Ndwalane says he got the idea from one of his friends, and just like with a car, the thieves won’t even know where the device is.
“The device will also help to track the tombstone if the family forgets the grave number.
“You will always find it.
“We have already had a case where that has happened.”
Also read: Metro gives answers on broken tombstones in cemetery
Ndwalane says deep sandblasting also makes it hard for the criminals to remove the print.
“I encourage people to check the graves of their loved ones frequently. I would say every three months.”
Ndwalane started his own business, Kgotso Lesedi, in 2016 and encourages his peers to do the same.
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