Residents shocked by unkempt local cemetery

Ward 32 Clr Marius de Vos once again raised his concerns about Boksburg being plagued by overgrown weeds and grass.

According to de Vos and the councillors for wards 33 and 34, Ashley Hoods and Charles Crawford respectively, the metro experienced numerous challenges.

Grass-cutting machines have been seen operating since January 6, but de Vos insists that the department is not following a schedule and is only servicing main routes to create the impression that grass is being cut.

“It’s window dressing. Boksburg is still an eyesore and it doesn’t seem as if the department is conducting or following any plan to ensure that our city is neat and clean.

“These conditions attract vagrants. When no maintenance is taking place, people tend to think that they can help themselves to implements such as steel poles in parks,” de Vos pointed out.

It seems even the local cemeteries have not been maintained. Chanté Ungerer in a Facebook post bemoaned the state of the Boksburg cemetery, saying the place is like a bushveld.

She remarked that the cemetery is so overgrown that you cannot even see some of the graves.

Dewald van Staden also expressed his disappointment about the state of the cemetery.

“As a family we wanted to go to our dad’s grave, but you cannot even get to the graves or see them due the overgrown grass and weeds. We were also afraid to go inside, as criminals could be hiding there. We heard many stories about people getting robbed at this cemetery while visiting their loved ones.

“My father was buried at this cemetery in 1991 and we visited his grave regularly, but sadly it’s just not safe any more. It’s pathetic,” said van Staden.

Windmill Park resident Daisy van der Merwe is also disgusted by the overgrown grass, as well as by the fact that a tree fell on top of some of the gravestones.

De Vos has been up arms about the cemetery since last year.

“I have been waiting for the relevant person to reply to my letter addressed to him to explain why the Boksburg cemetery can’t be maintained. Regrettably, the metro, it seems, has failed to take into consideration residents who have loved ones buried in the neglected graveyard.

“My observation as both ward councillor and member of the Environmental Development Oversight Committee is that the executive of the municipality lacks political will to expedite simple issues like getting maintenance tenders approved timeously.

“The current state of all cemeteries in the metro looks like the breakfast of a neglected dog. It is ridiculous to not have maintenance tenders of cemeteries and parks finalised after six months without any material explanation forthcoming from senior management.

“This continued anomaly is creating fertile ground for workers to tap into the overstretched overtime budget. Less work on parks and cemeteries gets done in productive hours, as overtime comes in handy under the prevailing circumstances in respect of the absence of maintenance tenders.

“It’s clear that the mayor did not got his facts right in his speech to council in November 2019, when he said that maintenance work and grass cutting would commence at cemeteries in December 2019 to accord dignity to those who parted before us.

“Residents are within their rights to be upset and furious with the leaders of this municipality for not taking care of cemeteries and unkempt open public spaces, including the recently installed Lungile Mtshali legacy parks,” de Vos said.

De Vos pointed out that during the festive season residents were desperate for a clean environment and took it upon themselves to cut the grass at the Sakkie Blanche Park in Parkrand.

“Unfortunately, the grass at the park is now overgrown again and it’s frustrating members of the community.”

He stressed that the metro spent millions on the art parks, but they are not serving their purpose at the moment due to the unkempt grass.

“The parks should be embraced by the community, used by children and enjoyed by families. It’s a community facility that should be maintained. If they don’t take care of these newly installed legacy parks there will soon be nothing left of them.”

Residents Zahn Pavkovich and Ruann Lange, who regularly visit the park, explained that they have noted a decrease in public attendance due to lack of maintenance.

“It’s a shame that the park seems neglected at this stage because it’s a nice and secure facility. I come here with my friends on a regular basis to relax or braai. The place is in need of general maintenance as bins are overflowing and the grass is unkempt.”

The Advertiser is still awaiting comment from the metro.