Gravesite visitations include, among others, promotion of the healing process, reflection of past experiences and a ritual of remembrance of the beloved deceased.
Therefore gravesites need regular maintenance.
While we commend the City of Ekurhuleni for the highest level of customer satisfaction and accolades being showed to the diligent employees, let me impress upon management for the gross environmental degradation of the cemeteries.
The gravesite is meant to be a safe haven and sanctuary for our beloved deceased.
The aesthetic beauty of the surrounding environment, the beautiful granite stones in their different sizes, shapes and colours and the landscape should be the order of the day; however, that is not the case, especially at the Rondebult Cemetery.
Weeds have grown aggressively, spreading in width and height and graves are difficult to locate and identify with quite a number of the memorial stones completely covered by weeds and shrubs.
Christmas day and New Year’s day were a sore sight, a painful and daunting experience for families who visited their deceased on those respective days, including myself.
I am making a humble appeal that our beloved deceased should not be treated as persona non grata even though they are buried.
Yes, I agree that the torrential rains attributed to the growth of weeds, but that is no excuse.
Regular maintenance is key to curb the challenges.
Remember, environmental issues also include where you live, play, work and, most importantly, our cemeteries.
