The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has condemned the theft and vandalism of tombstones at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Gqeberha following reports from concerned residents who highlighted the damage caused to some graves.
During an oversight visit conducted on Tuesday, 30 January 2024 NMBM Public Health Portfolio Head, Cllr Thsonono Buyeye said the Metro had started to notice the inhumane trend of theft and vandalism at some of the cemeteries.
The site visit was conducted to assess the extent of the damage caused by thieves in an effort to find sustainable solutions to the problem.
“We don’t want to speculate what is behind this problem, but what was important was for us to come here first following the numerous reports we received supported by videos to assess the extent of the damage. From this visit we can see that some of the graves were legally reopened and not closed properly and now it looks like vandalism but it is not. Other graves are sinking naturally because of the sandy soil but we don’t want to run away from the fact that there is theft and vandalism that is taking place here.”
“Slabs and kerbs have been visibly stolen and that is of great concern to us. We condemn these acts in the strongest terms possible. Cemeteries are a resting place and it is bad to see such damage in a resting place. We will announce the measures we will take to enhance security in all our cemeteries. We will meet as a team and see what can be done as a short-term solution to make sure this does not spread to other cemeteries. We have noted with concern the same trend in Zwide, Papenkuil and Jubilee Park in Kariega,” said MMC Buyeye.
NMBM’s Public Health and Safety and Security directorates are discussing short- term and long-term solutions that will be implemented to curb the problem.
Residents are encouraged to report any suspected theft of tombstones to SAPS or NMBM on 041 508 5548/041 585 1555.
Coffin Snatching today may just lead to a John Hunter (the father of modern surgery) moment. Hunter’s 18th Century tireless quest for human corpses immersed him deep in the sinister world of body snatching. He paid exorbitant sums for stolen cadavers. https://t.co/uT7v7Ivb2S
— Gqeberha (@MyPE) January 30, 2024
NMB Communications
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