Cemeteries carry the life stories of many people that have passed away, and are generally seen as a place of peace and where people can visit their loved ones.
Social media recently overflowed with comments about the Greenhills cemetery, most indicating that the cemetery is a very dangerous place, and no place for peace. The Herald decided to investigate the complaints and came to a shocking conclusion.
With trees overgrowing graves, alcohol bottles lying everywhere and filth taking over, it was aawful sight to see. Dedire Janse van Rensburg is just one resident who is very unhappy about the state of the cemetery. She and her family buried a relative approximately two years ago and are still grieving about their loss.
“We as a family are very unhappy about the cemetery. We went to the municipality in 2015 asking about the cemetery as we were deciding about his burial,” Dedire said.
At that time, they did not know about the state of the cemetery.
They have since visited the cemetery several times, to find the grass grown long and uncut, and on a regular basis they see people cleaning loved ones’ graves. Dedire told the Herald there are no dustbins, no water and no safety at the cemetery.
“Sometimes you must stay in your car, because you are afraid that someone might rob you,” she added.
People dumping their filth and then burning it just metres away from their beloved family member’s grave is another concern.
“You feel very unsafe there, you cannot go there just to cry. It is neglected and there needs to be security. You cannot even put up a nice pot plant or flowers, because they get stolen,” said Simone de Witt.
Also Read: #MunicipalMonday: Greenhills Cemetery gets a facelift
Another resident, Christine du Plessis, said that they have been locked inside the cemetery on occasion.
“We know our loved ones are not there, but visiting their graves is still a comfort for many people. I had to replace my mother and father’s photo because of vandalism, and pot plants with fresh flowers get stolen on special days,” said Adele Jansen van Rensburg.
Residents request only a few things:
• Water
• Dustbins
• Security
• A place to peacefully sit and visit your loved ones
“We know it is just their bodies that are in the graves, but somehow by visiting their graves you get comfort. I believe that the state of the cemetery makes it more difficult to process and accept my beloved brother’s death,” said Dedire.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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