While the relatives of the people buried at the KwaThema Cemetery at the corner of Sam Ngema and Marule streets think that their loved ones are resting in peace, the thieves are stealing from them.
Three months ago the metro employees who were busy at a graveyard noticed that there was a grave that was open and the matter was reported to the police.
Recently another awkward incident happened at the KwaThema Cemetery.
The Maifadi family from KwaThema could not believe it when one of their relatives who visited the grave-site last week informed them of the family’s grandfather’s grave that was left with no tombstone.
“We were surprised last Wednesday to witness that the tombstone from my grandfather’s grave was indeed removed and the grave was left with soil exposed outside,” said a shocked Chief Maifadi.
The graveyard, with no water and toilets, seems to have been turned to a grazing veld for the goats and a short-cut used by many schoolchildren to and from school.
On the other sides of the graveyard, the palisade fence has fallen down which makes it easy for the goats to go inside to eat the grass and the green flowers left next to some of the graves, allegedly by the deceased’s relatives.
When approached by the Reporter’s journalist, one of the learners who was spotted walking in the graveyard on his way from school on Tuesday afternoon, confirmed that many learners walk there especially on their way from school.
“Because the graveyard has many openings, we use it as it a short way to our homes after a long day at school,” he said.
He concluded by saying that because they have been walking there for many years to and from school, they are not even afraid that they are walking between the graves and showing disrespect to the dead people.
