STORMS and floods that hit the Western Cape have spared nothing including graveyards. Some graves were flooded with water, while others had uprooted trees on them.
The City of Cape Town said a number of the city's cemeteries continue to experience disruptions to operations as a result of adverse weather conditions.
MMC for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross said some cemeteries reopened after a brief suspension of operations. She said cemeteries affected by floods include Maitland, Plumstead, Gugulethu and Langa.
“Rusthof Cemetery, one of the primary burial grounds in the Helderberg region, has announced a temporary suspension of burial services due to flooding of cemetery access roads,” she said.
Van der Ross said her department will closely monitor the situation and actively engage in efforts to address the challenges facing members of the public.
“The impact on our cemetery operations is unfortunate and we extend our gratitude to the public for their understanding and cooperation during this challenging period. Our staff is doing everything possible to return our facilities to their original state – safe for use by the public,” said Van der Ross.
An undertaker from Mfuleni who spoke to Daily Sun said they are facing challenges because the water table in high. He said he wanted to bury someone in Welmoed in Eerste River on Wednesday, 27 September, but it was difficult.
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“As soon as the grave diggers reached waist level, they had already reached the water table. I had to postpone the burial because obviously we cannot bury a person in a shallow grave. When heavy rain comes, you will find the body washed away,” he said.
Anitha Mlungwana (45) from Mfuleni said she woke up on Monday morning, 25 September to check on her mother’s grave in Khayelitsha Cemetery.
“I was worried, but I’m glad we found it in good order. I was worried a lot because we haven’t put a tombstone on it,” she said.
