A lack of maintenance at the Rynsoord and Phumulani cemeteries has frustrated concerned residents.
According to Sandra De Freitas, who recently visited Rynsoord Cemetery, the lack of maintenance shocked her.
“Where has the human dignity gone? You can’t even go to the cemetery to pay your respects because there is nowhere to walk. The grass has taken over and even grows inside the graves.”
She said grass fires had damaged tombstones, which cost the families money to erect.
Another complainant, Martyn Meyer, took his mother to the Rynsoord Cemetery to place flowers on his father’s grave on Father’s Day (June 16).
“There has been no maintenance done. Everything is overgrown, and there has been a water leak since at least October, which makes access impossible for older people, especially those using canes, crutches or wheelchairs. They are unable to access the gravesites of their loved ones,” Meyer said.
The Benoni City Times also visited Phumlani Cemetery and found it in a bad state, too, with overgrown grass and fencing vandalism.
In response to the complaints, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini acknowledged the issue but clarified that no cemetery is entirely neglected.
He admitted that maintenance efforts were reduced but assured the community that there are plans to increase the equipment and manpower to address the backlog and ensure comprehensive maintenance moving forward.
When pressed for a timeline on when maintenance activities will fully resume, Dlamini said it is an ongoing process and was never entirely halted.
Last year, the Benoni City Times reported that Michael de Araujo sprained his ankle after falling into a water-filled trench in section RC4 of the Rynsoord Cemetery while taking photos to send to the CoE.
A week earlier before his ordeal, residents were also ankle-deep in the mud to rescue a woman who had fallen into the same trench while on her way to the gravesite of a family member.
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