Little is left to protect the Westpark cemetery as thieves are cutting the fence piece by piece for quick cash, leaving the graves unsecured.
Diamond mesh fencing between the police flat and Jewish cemetery has also been rolled up and taken away.
Wendy Carstens, chairperson of the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, said scrap metal companies are to be blamed for this as well as speeding cars crashing into the fence and destroying it.
Carstens said, “The fence that was broken along Beyers Naudé has not been repaired for more than a year now, but it was reported. The whole fence along the stretch is rusty, and about 20 divisions have been stolen from the section adjacent to the cemetery.”
She added that residents have complained that their lives are in danger because of smash-and-grab syndicates allegedly operating at the intersection of Beyers Naudé Drive and Judith Road.
It is suspected that the gang easily escape through these fence gaps to the reserve after committing crime.
They are now desperately calling Joburg City Parks and Zoo (JPCZ) for help with new fence erection.
Resident Ronnel van Buuren explained, “Imagine you are relaxing and a thug comes running into your yard. This is what happens to us because the fence has not been replaced – the thugs gain entrance easily.”
She also said that this is not the only problem – rubbish being dumped there is a health hazard.
Carsten further added that, “Because there is no proper fence anymore, people find it easy to turn the place into a dumping site.”
“Even the palisade fence between the Koppies and cemetery has been stolen section by section – upright poles were dug up and some cut off at the base. This was erected in 2003 at a cost of about R1 million. We have watched these people stealing in broad daylight.”
JCPZ Stakeholder and media relations officer Noeleen Mattera responded and said they are aware of the stolen fencing at the Koppies and upon replacing it, unfortunately it gets stolen again.
“In our efforts in finding solutions, a meeting was held on 22 June, together with the Melville Koppies Residents’s Association (MKRA), ward councillors and the community members. The concerns around security were discussed at length. In another follow-up meeting on 31 July, it was agreed that the councillors in the area would request funding from the City of Joburg for security upgrades of Koppies. This will include fencing and surveillance cameras in and around the Koppies.”
Mattera said the next meeting will be held on 7 August.
