Residents block security risk at Redhill Cemetery
Residents have tied wire mesh in front of the holes along the dilapidated fence in an attempt to limit access from and to the cemetery.
FED up with the lack of response from the City, residents in the vicinity of the Redhill Cemetery have taken to securing the massive holes in the fence around the cemetery themselves.
Last week an article in the Northglen News highlighted the security risks created by collapsed walls along the cemetery on both Girvan Avenue and Ryde Place. The damaged sections are reportedly being used by criminals as entry and escape routes.
In a desperate attempt to block access to and from the cemetery Grant Cockburn, chairman of the Mvoti Neighbourhood Watch, and his son, Trent tied wire mesh in front of the holes in Ryde Place. The Mvoti Neighbourhood Watch paid for two sections of the fence to be repaired with wire fencing.
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He said the lack of service delivery in repairing and maintaining the fence has set the watch back in terms of reducing crime.
“We have managed to bring crime down significantly, however recently we have had two break-ins and one attempted break-in. And that is unusual for our area,” he said.
“It is frustrating when we have sacrificed so much of our time to keep the community safe whereas if the walls had been repaired and maintained promptly these incidents may not have occurred.”
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Cockburn said the watch committee sent numerous emails to the City appealing for assistance, but has had little to no response.
“There just seems to be no sense of urgency from the officials, which is frustrating. With some regular maintenance from the parks department the vegetation would not be so overgrown, and would not have pushed into the boundary walls. It will now take longer and cost more to repair,” he said.
The eThekwini Municipality acknowledged the Northglen News‘s request for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
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