WHITE RIVER – The family of Andries Jacobus Erasmus fears that the remains of their other great-grandfather may be targeted next. Erasmus’ remains were stolen from his grave on Wednesday evening. He had been buried in 1951.
Marthinus Johannes Botha was also buried in the family’s cemetery on the Curlews Road.
Great-grandson, Tinus Botha, was upset when he stood at the head of his great-grandfather’s desecrated grave on Thursday morning.
The robbers first tried to access the grave through the concrete at its foot, as was seen by damage to it. When that did not work, they dug a hole at the head of the grave and made off with Erasmus’ remains. They cut the fence and, it is assumed, disappeared into the bush.
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According to Tinus, he drove past the graveyard the previous evening and saw that the gate was open, but thought that the person who cut the grass left it so by accident.
“Our biggest fear is that they will come back again,” Tinus said.
The police and forensic authorities were on the scene. White River police spokesman,
Sgt Cynthia Mbokodo, was also on the scene. “I have never seen something like this. We cannot say if they will come back or not,” Mbokodo said.
Tinus believes that whoever stole Erasmus’ remains aims to do something sinister with them.
“We were told that people steal bones of landowners to give to the sangoma when they want to do a land claim on that specific piece,” Tinus said.
The Erasmus and Botha families were joined together by the marriage of Erasmus’ daughter and Botha’s son.
Erasmus owned a large piece of land on the one side of the Curlews Road while Botha owned the large portion on the other side, and through the marriage a great partnership was born.
The Botha family all still live on the family farm close to the graveyard.
“This land is very old. Our original map was signed by Paul Kruger. We cannot say how big the land was back then as they measured it out with horses. We only have a portion of that now,” Tinus said.
Both his great-grandfathers used to farm with cattle. The oldest grave in the cemetery dates back to 1916 and there are more than 20. Tinus said they will increase security at the graveyard, as the family all want to be buried there one day and do not want to suffer the same fate.
Mbokodo said a case of violation of graves will be opened.
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