The Boksburg Cemetery is becoming an eyesore as the fences are being stolen and it is in need of general maintenance.
This is according to Ward 32 Clr Marius de Vos. He said vagrants steal chunks of metal to sell at illegal scrapyards.
“People should be able to put their loved ones to rest where it’s clean and safe as the cemetery is the only connection people have with their loved ones who died. It must be a place where you can pay your respects to the dead.
“This, however, is not entirely possible as the fence around the cemetery is disappearing because of theft. This poses a hazard as any ill-doer now has free access to the cemetery. It is concerning that the fences are being stolen,” de Vos explained.
“To solve this problem, I believe an investigation should be started to close down illegal scrapyards. Criminals won’t steal the fence if there is no demand for the fence.
“There should be more convictions and harsher punishments should be given to those who are caught with these stolen items,” said de Vos.
Marius is also concerned about the maintenance of the Boksburg Cemetery as he noticed a few issues inside the cemetery.
“It seems to me that the Boksburg Cemetery is in a bad condition at this stage. The cemetery is overgrown with grass and there are trees growing over some of the graves, making it nearly impossible to see them.
“People are also consuming liquor at the cemetery. The toilet facilities are in a bad condition and trash cans are overflowing. The general upkeep of these premises is a huge problem.
“To my knowledge, there should be seven workers, including the admin officer. These people’s tasks are nothing else but to clean the cemetery and make sure people have proper access to the graves of their loved ones.
“During my visit, I only saw two of these workers and nobody can give us any information on the whereabouts of the others. It’s a clear sign of no control and that is why the cemetery is looking the way it is.”
The Advertiser is still awaiting comment from the metro.
