Durban - MOURNERS and visitors have reportedly had to risk stumbling on tombstones or falling in graves, as some of the eThekwini Municipality cemeteries have waist-high grass.
Three cemeteries - Mobeni Heights, Stellawood and Mayville Cemetery (commonly known as Chesterville Cemetery) - were seen with waist-high grass in the last week.
Two Daily News BackChatters
had visited Mobeni Heights and Stellawood cemeteries last weekend and found they had the same issue - uncut grass.
Last Thursday, when the Daily News was returning from Mobeni Heights cemetery, it was noticed that the grass at Mayville Cemetery was also very long.
A BackChatter who visited Mobeni Heights Cemetery said the grass was uncut opposite the municipal offices at the cemetery, which meant staff saw it daily but were disinterested.
Both he and his family had been visiting the cemetery since 1977.
“This is like a divine place for us. Our loved ones are buried there. But the place has been unkempt for the last four years,” he said.
“It’s definitely not safe when you are alone. There have been a few robbery incidents.”
He said the grass was over a metre tall. It was “scary” because of snakes and crime. Lighting camphor at the cemetery would likely cause a fire.
“The municipality should be lucky that each family cleans their own family grave site,” he said.
Another BackChatter had visited Stellawood Cemetery to attend a funeral and was appalled at its state.
“The grass is knee- to waist-high all over. The grass, on the level of the burial, was obviously hurriedly cut but not cleared away,” he said.
He felt it was odd that the municipality was urging families to renew their leases on family graves, and he wondered if the cutting of grass would improve if leases were renewed.
He said in recent years he had not visited the cemetery on a regular basis, but both he and his family would visit during Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
“Over the past 25 years, the cemetery has become more and more neglected and unkempt.
“On my last visit, the grass was overgrown. I was in the area below block AJ and then went up to the section adjoining the Jewish cemetery,” he said.
He had apparently heard of incidents of attacks on people visiting graves, while other graves have been vandalised and statues removed, including praying hands on his mother’s grave.
The Daily News visited Stellawood Cemetery and found that the grass was cut earlier in the week.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said grass at their cemeteries was cut according to a schedule, however grass grew fast because of the current rain patterns.
Regarding Mobeni Heights Cemetery, Mayisela said they had challenges with brush cutters being broken, which led to poor service delivery in terms of grass cutting and maintenance of the cemetery; however, they had managed to secure three extra brush cutters from other cemeteries.
“The service will be back to normal, since the small plant operators will have enough brush cutters to continue with the normal operations going forward,” said Mayisela.