Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), who are the custodians of Joburg’s cemeteries, are responsible for maintaining common ground at Westpark.
Although vandalism and theft do occur, however sparse, the biggest troublemaker in the cemetery is the weather, often blowing over glass vases.
The second biggest? Long grass.
As the rainy season hits Joburg, long grass becomes a common sight but visitors to Westpark Cemetery have become especially frustrated.
City Parks spokesperson, Jenny Moodley, apologised for this at a recent visit to the cemetery. She said that grass-cutting is happening with contractors tackling the growth block-by-block.
“The grass grows very fast during the rainy season and there is downtime with machinery. The machinery can’t be operated on wet days. But we are catching up and will be up to speed soon.”
The entity is also appealing to families to keep graves maintained, as this is their responsibility.
“According to the by-law, the family is responsible for the maintenance of the grave and we maintain the surrounding area.”
Communities and associations can also opt to take ownership of certain sections of the cemetery. They can do this by applying at City Parks.
Doing this will mean taking over the maintenance of the entire section.
