Nyaope addicts stealing ashes at Kempton Park cemetery? Officials say maybe not

The destruction of memorials to the deceased has caused anger over the abhorrent level of disrespect.   

The Wall of Remembrance at Bredell Cemetery near Kempton Park had most of the plaques and stone markings smashed while most were celebrating the turn of the year.

Blame had initially been pointed at nyaope addicts, but those who have kept an eye on the premises in recent years say it may not be the case.

Allegedly missing ashes

Videos posted on social media in the first week of the year showed the scattered debris between the brick pigeonholes that hold the remains of the departed.

Nyaope addicts have for years been accused of breaking into cemeteries to loot resting places, and stealing ashes and bones.

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These addicts are believed to mix the ashes and ground-up human bones with their narcotics cocktail to give it greater volume.

Chairperson of AfriForum’s Kempton Park branch, Jan Vermaak said those responsible were unlikely to have been the nyaope addicts, as most of the ashes were not stolen.

He said the ashes were still in their containers and plastic pouches, adding that no other valuable items near the memorials were taken.

Grave concerns

Afriforum Kempton Park is familiar with the movements in and around the cemeteries in the area.

“We have held many clean-ups at the nearby Zuurfontein Cemetery and have increased visibility and patrols in the area,” Vermaak told The Citizen.

He added that Zuurfontein Cemetery was in a terrible state, but that the Bredell premises were still in good condition.

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This is not the first incident at one of the area’s cemeteries, as a tombstone was vandalised in 2022 and a similar destruction of plaques occurred in 2018 in Mooifontein.  

Vermaak said the Ekurhuleni municipality had done little to nothing to protect the resting places of the deceased.

Not ruling out nyaope

City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini disagreed, saying that all cemeteries have a security guard on site, but that wanderers often break the palisade fencing to use sites as a thoroughfare.

“We condemn the incident, but call on the public to assist us in finding the perpetrators. These people live in our communities and someone must have seen something,” Dlamini told The Citizen.

“It is very unfortunate. One wonders what goes through one’s mind when doing something like that. We used to view cemeteries as sacred places,” he added.

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department oversees security at the site, and would have been required to immediately report the incident, confirmed Dlamini.

Dlamini said that although they were not immediately considering nyaope addicts as suspects, he could not rule them out.

Squatters in cemeteries

Ekurhuleni Ward 25 councillor Marinda Beukes concurred, saying that attributing blame to nyaope users was ‘unfounded’, as no previous claims or complaints had been made.

However, Beukes did say that a complaint was received about a family living on the cemetery property.

They were recently removed, but a male member of the family is alleged to be a substance abuser who becomes violent when under the influence, as relayed by Beukes.

“I was told, when informed about the incident, that there are people staying there again and stealing water from the newer cemetery,” Beukes told The Citizen.

The councillor added that nyaope addicts had previously shown more interest in human bones than in ashes, but called for tighter security.

“I’m disappointed in the fact that the institution that is there for safety and security did not act on these criminal issues. Prevention is better than cure,” she added.

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