Tombstone theft is on the rise

He says people have lost the true meaning of respect and black culture.

Leku, along with his wife Christine Leku, recently went to Vlakfontein cemetery to put fresh flowers on his son’s and mother’s graves only to discover pieces of his mother’s tombstone have been stolen.

He complains that the tombstone has been recently erected and was stolen so soon.

He now fears honouring his son’s life by erecting a tombstone for him because on his son’s grave a granite grave tag has been vandalized for the steel stand it has.

He says the whole section’s granite tags have been vandalized.

The tags which range from R200 to R400 depending on the undertaker were scattered about even near the street.

Spokesperson of Kwatsaduza’s South African Practitioners Association (SAPA) Pat Papi says she is very sad this is the reality our society faces.

She suspects the unregistered tombstone companies who are unreasonably cheaper than the undertakers.

She adds the black market companies sell the steal back the tombstones from the consumers of Kwatsaduza.

“More security measures have to be put in place to prevent this tragedy and an investigations must be conducted,” she concludes.

Undertaker owner Siya Makhaula says this criminal habit is affecting the undertaker business because a lot of undertakers have marginalized their businesses with tombstones.

He says now due to theft consumers won’t be buying tombstones.

He adds that recently at Petersfield cemetery, on the western side, a gate was stolen and nothing was done about it.

Themba Gadebe spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metro says security at the cemeteries, especially Vlakfontein cemetery have been a challenge in the past few months.

All the cases of public toilets being vandalized and tombstones stolen or broken have been reported to the SAPS and are pending investigation results.

This is despite the presence of a security company on site 24 hours per day.

The metro is not aware of any arrests that have been made at this stage.