OVER 50 GRAVES SINKING AT GOLF COURSE

MANZINI - The cemetery is a sacred and quiet place for many. However sometimes, mother nature does not play along.
Over 50 graves are sinking at the Golf Course Cemetery and members of the public are advised to check on their loved one’s final resting place.

The public is advised to contact the Manzini Municipal Council prior to making any arrangements to ‘reconstruct’ the collapsing graves.

Some of these affected graves are those of well-known personalities and businesspeople who passed on some decades ago.
When this publication paid a visit to the place yesterday, young boys who have made the cemetery their ‘place of abode’ were found loitering.
It was gathered that heavy downpour and unskilled labour when constructing the tombstones are some of the causes of the collapse.

Aware

When the municipal council was sought for comment, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mathokoza Thwala said they were aware of the collapsing graves and it was not just the Golf Course but also three other cemeteries, two situated in Ngwane Park and one in the city centre.

Found at the Municipal Council with the Assistant Parks and Garden’s Superintendent, Justice Mabuza, the municipal officials confirmed that heavy rains were a major contributory factor to the collapsing graves and also the engagement of unskilled labour during burials.

“Everybody knows a cemetery needs constant watch, especially from relatives to check the graves of their loved ones if they have not been tampered with. This is a cause for serious concern and the municipal council would like to urge relatives of people who are buried in these cemeteries to visit them (cemeteries) and see to it that the graves are in good order,” Thwala said.

 He also said the municipal council had already used various channels to alert people who buried their loves ones at these cemeteries to check their graves. However, families did not respond to their requests or calls.

 Thwala added that it was not council’s responsibility to repair such graves. He mentioned that in fact, the council was not allowed to even touch such damaged graves or any other situated in their cemeteries.

 “All the council does is to ensure there is no overgrown vegetation within the cemetery and the responsibility to take care of the graves lies with the relatives of those who are buried there,” Thwala also said.  He further advised members of the public to ensure that they engaged skilled builders for preparation of their loved ones’ graves.

 Thwala added that it was not everyone who was skilled to prepare a grave, especially where the grave would be lined with a brick wall and a tombstone placed.

Contributors

 “The engagement of unskilled labour during funerals is one of the contributors to the obtaining situation in the cemeteries. EmaSwati are known for respect for the dead. Therefore, people are encouraged to visit the cemeteries, however, they have to liaise with the council as it is procedural,” Thwala said.
 Meanwhile, it was gathered that the council now made arrangements for double burials where two people are laid to rest in the same grave.

It was revealed that a 30-centimetre slab would separate the two bodies, however only undertakers had the duty to do that. Earlier this year, it was gathered that over 10 graves were collapsing or sinking at the Ngwane Park Cemetery due to heavy rains.

The council made an announcement that it was not allowed to fix such graves and instead, the responsibility lied with relatives of those buried in those graves.

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