The Elsburg Cemetery has come under fire, with reports that the metro has allowed it to fall into disrepair.
The GCN spoke to Whitey Grobler, whose parents are buried in the cemetery. He explained that the cemetery is in such a state of disrepair that people have begun stealing the wall around the cemetery and several tombstones have been defaced and damaged.
“In addition to the long grass and weeds, people are dumping in the area,” he said.
He also claimed that the cemetery stinks due to a sewage leak in the area.
He has attempted to call the metro’s call centre on several occasions to report the matter but has received no help.
The GCN sent a query to the metro to find out who was responsible for the cemetery’s upkeep and why it had not been maintained.
Themba Gadebe, spokesman for the metro, responded with the following statement:
“The metro’s parks and cemeteries division is responsible for the cemetery’s maintenance.
“The department employs contractors to do the work,” he said.
“The appointed contractor withdrew and a new one was recently appointed to take its place.
“The contractor has started with the work which is expected to be completed within a few days.”
When GCN journalists visited the cemetery workers could be seen cutting the grass inside the cemetery’s walls.
Comment from the water and sanitation department on the sewage leak in the area was not received.
Other articles you may be interested in:
When will metro repair Brug Street?
Germiston washed away by water leaks
Damaged power cable causes power outage
Residents desperate for answers from metro
How to register / re-register for the 2016 Municipal Elections
