VRYHEID KZN: Cemetery slides into ruins
We urge our community to bear with us as we prepare for the refurbishment of the columbarium, and assure them that it has indeed been prioritised,"
It should be a place of rest and where family can visit their loved ones, but currently it’s an horrific sight when you enter the cemetery.
The community has, on a few occasions, cleaned up on the outside of the cemetery by getting rid of the rubble and overgrown bushes. Residents made the effort since they have loved ones buried in the cemetery and were hoping that the municipality would meet them halfway by cleaning up on the inside as well. It is a daunting prospect to visit the graves of family members these days.
The columbarium (room or building with niches for funeral urns to be stored) has been badly vandalised, damaged and left in ruin. The niches were broken open, which indicates that the perpetrators have no respect for the dead.
Currently, the graves are overgrown by weeds and grass, which makes it nearly impossible to walk.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new area has been cleared for new graves outside the entry gate, which is currently being utilised. However, a part of this area is already overgrown.
The question to be asked is: What is being done about the situation, since the cemetery has been in this state for quite a while now?
According to Municipal Manager Bonga Ntanzi, the municipality has prioritised the reconstruction of the columbarium in their next financial year, starting in July, due to financial constraints.
“According to our assessment, the refurbishment and maintenance of the columbarium is expected to cost approximately R1 million and as the municipality, we want to honour the place of our departed by giving them a final resting place that will not collapse in a short space of time; but ensure that the structure is of great quality. We have also engaged our security company to continuously patrol the cemetery to ensure that no further vandalism takes place.
“We urge our community to bear with us as we prepare for the refurbishment of the columbarium, and assure them that it has indeed been prioritised,” he explains.
ALSO READ:ESTCOURT KZN: Cemetery slips into state of neglect
Make sure you follow us on our social media platforms for regular updates
