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‘We demand free burials’

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Residents dug up graves behind the local police station.  Photo by Sifiso Jimta
Residents dug up graves behind the local police station. Photo by Sifiso Jimta

RESIDENTS and community members said they will not allow graves to be commercialised.

They gathered in an open veld behind Sharpeville police station in the Vaal, Gauteng to dig up graves, protesting against tariff increases by the Emfuleni Local Municipality.

Following a march in the area, locals sang church hymns while the men dug up the graves.

Michael Thekiso (77) told the SunTeam they had to pay R3 000 for a grave when their family had to bury a seven-day old child recently.

“We will be burying another family member this weekend. We have to arrange more money for this person,” he said.

Addressing residents, community member Donald Tontsi said they will not let the municipality make money out of graves and do nothing.

“The power lies with the people,” he said. “If they don’t do what we ask, we will show them what we will do. We are going to turn this place into a cemetery where we won’t pay to bury our loved ones,” he said.

“Anyone who has a problem with what we are doing can come here and tell us that we don’t have the right to bury our loved ones.”

The residents called for the mayor and MMC for parks and cemeteries to address them and by the weekend they want him to suspend all payments towards graves and rule that people should be buried for free.

Municipal Communications Manager Stanley Gaba said a grave site with his name on it was dug up and he could not comment because he was directly affected.

“I cannot comment as this is an act of criminality. My grave has been dug up by the community and I take this very seriously,” he said.

“This was a long shot. It was incited by a local radio station.”

Municipal spokesman Thabiso Radebe said the municipality was aware of the grievances of the residents and the MMC for parks and cemeteries would be issuing a statement today.

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