Lack of service delivery by the Tshwane Council continues to be of great concern to residents.
However, whilst residents have shown some indulgence, or are seemingly tired of repeatedly complaining to council about poor services, certain services are deemed sensitive, whereby some residents cannot wait any longer for Council to deliver. One of these services that council is expected to provide, is the proper maintenance of the cemeteries, if not for any other reason, to at least show some respect to those buried there. However, despite the council having sub-contracted this important task, many of the cemeteries throughout Tshwane remain in an unacceptable poor state.
The state of the Rebecca Street Cemetery for one and more so the Muslim section of the cemetery, has been shocking and horrific, to say the least. The past few months saw families of those Muslims buried there, finding it difficult to even find the graves of their dear ones, despite attending and praying at their gravesides for years. Long grass turned into thick bush, non-functional taps, the theft of brass name plates and potholes on the driveway leading to the Muslim section of the cemetery, are just some of the frustrations that local residents go through when visiting their dear deceased ones.
Shakeel Amod of the Tshwane Muslim Cemetery Committee, which is self funded, told the Laudium Sun, “As we were approaching Ramadaan, one of our members asked the council to attend to the problems at the Muslim section of the Rebecca Street Cemetery, one of them being that many of the graves were covered in thick bush and one could not even get to some of the graves. We were concerned .as we knew Eid would soon be approaching and we did not want the graves to be inaccessible and in this poor state. Despite having security there, the name plates made out of steel or brass were recently stolen and most of the taps are not working. The council promised that the grass would soon be cut, but as the days went by, nothing was done. The council had apparently given a contract to a service provider to cut the grass, but this has not been done for a long time. When Ramadaan started and the grass was still not cut, we decided to hire a few people to assist in cutting the grass and cleaning up the place. We even have someone at the Laudium cemetery on a full time basis to help clean up the Muslim section. I am glad that the cemetery at Rebecca Street was neat on Eid day. We do so much to make sure our gardens at home are kept neat and tidy. The least we can do for our deceased parents, besides praying for them, is also to keep their graves clean and tidy and looking dignified.”
* Although the grass on the white section of the cemetery was not as long as that in the Muslim section, Council sub-contracters started cutting the grass this week, in the former white section of the cemetery.
