Enter at your own risk — that is the sign that should greet visitors to cemeteries in the Buffalo City Metro.
Long grass and out-of-control weeds, broken fencing and vandalised tombstones have become an all too familiar sight at Cambridge, Haven Hills, Buffalo Flats and Mtsotso in Mdantsane.
Residents said finding the graves of loved ones was “a mission”.
The complaints are not new. The condition of BCM’s cemeteries has been steadily deteriorating over the years.
It has gone beyond just being unkept and vandalised. It has now become a fertile hunting ground for criminals.
When a woman visiting the Cambridge cemetery says she no longer feels safe going alone, the municipality’s “maintenance problem” has already become a safety problem.
BCM is well-aware of the problems, but the question is: does the administration care?
For funeral parlours, it has become a risky business too.
One business owner told how his staff had been held up at gunpoint and a vehicle and sound system stolen. Brazen, daylight armed robbery.
The funeral parlour now relies on a local crime forum group to keep watch when setting up funerals.
BCM is well-aware of the problems, but the question is: does the administration care?
If they did, they would have maintained an acceptable level of cleanliness and prioritised safety for everyone, including their own workers.
The metro said grass was cut every quarter and admitted there was no special budget for cemetery maintenance.
Equipment and vehicle breakdowns, lack of security at the department responsible for cemeteries and changing weather patterns have also been listed as factor contributing to the dismal state of cemeteries.
Even if these issues are real, it cannot be used to justify the same problems happening time and time again.
Councillor Shandre Hoffman said one of the biggest challenges was that different directorates were responsible for different functions at cemeteries.
She said those cutting grass outside and inside reported to different sections and each operated on their own schedule.
That is a clear symptom of poor management. When cemeteries become everyone’s responsibility, it is no-one’s priority.
Cemeteries are places of dignity.
However, BCM’s continued failures in basic maintenance are undermining that dignity by turning remembrance spaces into danger zones.
The metro should not treat cemetery maintenance as something optional.
It must be seen as a safety issue. There should be a clear maintenance schedule, working equipment, and better security to keep these sites safe.
Daily Dispatch
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