Urgent need for security at cemeteries

Adecision to insource security guards in 2017 continues to haunt Nelson Mandela Bay, with unprotected cemeteries the latest municipal assets to be targeted by vandals. Barefaced theft and vandalism have left dozens of properties in ruin since security companies were removed and several hundred guards insourced to replace them.

Make no mistake, the council’s decision to insource the guards has been an absolute disaster, while also costing the metro millions of rand more in damages.

Hundreds of security workers employed by the companies were also let off.

The Bethelsdorp cemetery is the latest municipal asset to be trashed by vandals.

Dozens of headstones were tipped over, a fence was broken and some of the concrete around the graves was desecrated at the weekend.

Vagrants, vandals and thieves have also taken over the historic St Mary’s cemetery, with some tombstones cracked or in pieces.

Visitors are also getting robbed at cemeteries, with the police warning in February that there had been a general increase in crime and warned the public not to visit gravesites alone.

This is all directly linked to the rash decision made in 2017.

Public health boss Sizwe Mvunelwa confirmed this when he revealed that none of the cemeteries in the Bay were protected.

He said the vandalism started with the decision to insource 672 security guards.

The National Treasury even urged the council to rescind the decision, saying it was unlawful as it failed to take into account the legal and financial repercussions it would have on the administration, but it refused.

And five years later, as the cost of insourcing security guards has almost doubled, the municipality wants to go back to hiring private companies through a hybrid system.

This hybrid system would include private security companies, already employed security staff and CCTV cameras.

However, since it was announced earlier in 2022, little progress has been made.

Crime is clearly out of control when cemeteries are targeted by vandals. Municipal assets need to be protected before it’s too late.

The hybrid system needs to be expedited to put boots on the ground at municipal facilities and cemeteries.