Community Rises to Restore Dignity in Pretoria Cemeteries

Community Rises to Restore Dignity in Pretoria Cemeteries

Pretoria East graves have been neglected for too long. Long grass tangles between tombs. Broken stones lean. Litter gathers in corners. A few residents had seen enough and decided to step in.

A Personal Push Becomes a Collective Effort

Dana Ashoori walks into Matt Street Cemetery and sees what many avoid. She has buried loved ones there. She notices weeds choking graves, paths obstructed by debris, water pipes broken, and granite slabs shattered.

Together with others  including Heli Konstant and a local figure known online as The Friendly Satanist, Dr Tristán Kapp  Ashoori helped launch a clean-up. Kapp, whose grandmother is buried there, says it’s “terrible to see how people abandon their loved ones … there is no one to take care of the cemetery.” They collected nine black bags of rubbish in three hours.

What They Found

In addition to trash and overgrown weeds, volunteers documented:

• Sunken graves, where soil has settled and graves no longer level with the ground.

• Broken tombstones and scattered debris.

• Damaged water pipes, plus granite fragments.

• Safety concerns: overgrowth and debris make walking dangerous, especially for the elderly.

Where the Municipality Fits In

Ward councillor Malcolm de Klerk confirmed that the City of Tshwane recently cut the grass at Matt Street Cemetery. But residents say this is not enough. The clean-ups are happening because the city’s maintenance has been inconsistent.

Why It Matters

In many Pretoria communities, visiting graves is not just ritual. It’s where families remember, mourn, heal. When graveyards are neglected, it’s more than aesthetic. People feel forgotten. Elders visiting a child’s grave endure overgrowth; children might trip on broken stones. Cultural rituals are disrupted.

When Fauci or another reader scrolls through social media, sees images of cracked stones and wild grass, many respond with shock, sadness, sometimes anger.

On local socials and at community gatherings the message is consistent: beloved deceased deserve dignity. The dead, and those who remember them, should not suffer neglect.

Public Reaction & Hope

People on Twitter and Facebook have shared photos of the cemetery before and after clean-ups. Some argue the city should fund regular maintenance. Others praise residents for acting when government fails. Comments include “Do this in all cemeteries” and “Remember the stories behind each name.”

Missing History & What Should Happen Next

What the story rarely mentions is the history of who owned the land, how budget allocations for cemetery maintenance have shifted over the years, and why some cemeteries in Tshwane get priority while others seem forgotten. These gaps matter.

What must happen next:

• A municipal survey of all cemeteries to assess damage, safety risks, and maintenance shortfalls.

• A schedule for regular upkeep, not reactive clean-ups.

• Community partnerships: local volunteers with equipment, corporates with sponsorship, councillors with oversight.

Final Thoughts: Restoring Dignity Takes All of Us

This is about more than grass, stones, or empty plots. It’s about respect for the dead, for grandparents, for the rituals that give closure.

It’s clear Pretoria East residents won’t wait for perfect conditions. They have started. The message: when government and citizens work together, small acts of care become powerful symbols of who we are.

{Source: TheCitizen}

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