Residents up in arms over Redhill Cemetery shooting

RESIDENTS surrounding the Redhill Cemetery are once again up in arms over the firing of guns during funerals at the site. Some residents have described the shootings as sounding like ‘World War III’.

According to Wayne Nettmann, chairman of the Mvoti Neighbourhood Watch, the shootings take place almost every weekend. “The discharging of the weapons in a public space is not only dangerous and illegal, but also disturbs the peace,” he said. Dozens of residents have reported finding bullets and bullet holes in their properties.

Nettmann added that the watch has been battling for years to get the authorities to take their concerns seriously. What is most frustrating, he said, was that the eThekwini Municipality had spent R700 000 on a camera surveillance system for the cemetery, but was not making use of the recordings to prosecute the offenders.

Former chairman, Howard Oram, said excuses were made, claiming that the shootings were a 21-gun-salute, but he said in most cases automatic weapons were used to fire hundreds of bullets at a time.

Bruce Hurst Nicholson, who lives across from the graveyard, is a former military man. He explained that a 21-gun-salute involved seven military men firing simultaneously, three times in a row. “It is customary to fire blanks via rifles. What they are doing is definitely not a 21-gun-salute,’ he said.

Wendy Thomas, who also lives adjacent to the cemetery, told the Northglen News that they had found a bullet in their driveway last year in the vicinity where their grandchildren were playing. “It is a terrifying thought. What if the bullet had struck one of our grandchildren? I don’t understand why they insist on using live ammunition. Blanks make the exact same noise,” said Thomas.

Nettmann concluded that the issue would be brought up at the next watch meeting, where residents would insist action be taken. “Sooner or later someone is going to be injured or killed. We can’t sit back and wait for this to happen,” he said.