Nicky Schnepel’s late father and father-in-law were buried at the mentioned cemetery, also known as the New Boksburg Cemetery.
According to her, the cemetery is in a bad state and the lack of maintenance is clearly visible.
“The grass is very long, as if it hasn’t been cut in several months. You can barely see the heads of some of the tombstones,” said Schnepel.
However, she did mention that the grass at the entrance of the cemetery has recently been cut.
She also mentioned that many of the graves have subsided, but this isn’t noticeable because of the long grass.
“You can’t see where everything is. The one moment you’re still walking and the next moment you’ve fallen into a grave,” said Schnepel.
“You can even see some of the coffins. My children pointed it out and asked me what it was,” said Schnepel
“This place looks disgusting. I would’ve loved to be in a position where I am allowed to clean up the cemetery.”
Schnepel told the Advertiser that there is no longer a security guard on duty at night, but only during the day.
However, Ekurhuleni Metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, disputed Schnepel’s allegations.
“There is security personnel day and night at Boksburg Sub-Regional Cemetery,” he said.
He added that the cemetery’s grass was last cut in the first week of January.
Regarding the graves that have subsided, Gadebe said: “There was subsidence following the heavy rains we experienced last year. Subsequent to that we backfilled the worst graves and we are currently backfilling the other ones. It is a work in progress.
“It is not true that the cemetery was left to deteriorate. We have been cutting grass and maintaining the entrance since peak season (end of October). We are currently procuring contractors to start in February,” Gadebe explained.
However, on the Advertiser’s visit to the cemetery on February 8, a different picture emerged.
It has been noted that the grass and weeds in between the graves have been growing wild and that it is very long.
