Heartbreak as ash walls desecrated again in Braamfontein Cemetery
Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries say the recently vandalised graves are 'devastating' following the year-long restoration project to repair 5 000 graves which were destroyed a year ago.
The final resting place for thousands of people in the ash walls at the Braamfontein Cemetery has been vandalised again. This new desecration of the graves comes two weeks before a ceremony to mark the restoration of 5 000 graves was due to be held after they were destroyed in April last year.
The Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries (FOJC) founder Sarah Welham is devastated. “It breaks my heart after all the hard work and many donations from so many of you. I can’t go through this again.”
Twelve plaques have been ripped off four different walls this time. “The marble ones are so badly cracked that you can see little bits of marble on the ground with some of the caskets carelessly thrown on the ground.”
She says they still don’t have a motive whether people want the ashes or just vandalism for vandalism’s sake. “We also don’t know if the previous vandals have returned or if this is a new group that does not know about the previous destruction. We don’t know.
“Perhaps security has become a bit too relaxed. The change in shift time to 17:00 might play a part as the day shift congregates at the gate waiting to leave. This might give opportunistic criminals time to act as the guards are not patrolling at that time.”
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo is responsible for maintaining and protecting the cemetery. They have worked closely with FOJC who led the extensive fundraising and restoration programme which has taken more than a year to complete.
City Parks spokesperson Jenny Moodley says, “We have received a report of the deliberate vandalism of memorial plaques and can confirm that the urns are still intact.”
She says it is believed the suspects were looking for memorabilia of value that is often placed by families inside the niches.
City Parks had deployed four full-time, 24-hour security personnel to patrol the facility.
“The challenge, however, is the vast expanse of the cemetery which has limited fencing due to the ongoing theft of palisade fencing. To beef up security, we have deployed an additional two personnel.”
Moodley says in recent months the trees were pruned back and lighting was installed to provide increased visibility in the cemetery.
Welham says they are ‘pushing to have patrol dogs reinstated and patrols by the guards in the ash wall area to be increased’.
Moodley says, “Unfortunately, due to the cemetery reaching full capacity, it’s under-utilised and is visited less frequently than others, resulting in sporadic reports of opportunistic crime.”
She says City Parks continues to work with law enforcement to complement visible policing and ‘encourages JMPD, the police and private security companies in the area to increase patrols in all public spaces, including cemeteries’.
Residents are urged to report any suspicious activity by calling 011 375 5911.
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