THUGS DESECRATE THE DEAD

Mountain Rise crematorium’s Wall of Remembrance vandalised

A Pietermaritzburg resident who visited his sister’s resting place at the Mountain Rise crematorium’s Wall of Remembrance (pictured) was shocked by the “disgusting” state of the cemetery.

The resident, who asked not to be named, said he found the Wall of Remembrance holding the cremated remains of loved ones damages and desecrated, with human faeces splattered everywhere.

“I went to the cemetery the other day to see my sister’s plaque in the Wall of Remembrance and what I saw there was so shocking. It made me not want to ever go there again,” said the resident.

As he walked into the facility, he said he saw what he believes was a human jawbone in one of the corners, broken pieces from the remembrance wall and human faeces all over. He also expressed his anger and sadness at not being able to find his sister’s plaque.

“My sister died more than 20 years ago, and my family and I made sure that she was resting in a clean and tidy place. The cemetery now has overgrown grass everywhere. It was a struggle to get to where I believed my sister’s plaque was.

“There was faeces everywhere and the smell was just horrible. It is safe for me to describe that place as disgusting,” said the resident.

He added that even though he does not wish to go back to the crematorium, he is desperate to find his sister’s plaque.

When asked about security in the cemetery, the resident said there was only one security guard present on the day he went there.

The security guard, he said, pointed them to the Wall of Remembrance, which was not even visible because of the overgrown grass. He urged for suitable people to take care and maintain the crematorium as it is a sacred space for those who have family members resting there.

Anthony Waldhausen, the chairperson of the Msunduzi Association of Residents Ratepayers and Civics (Marrc), said the maintenance of the Mountain Rise cemetery and the crematorium has been a long-standing battle.

“This is not the first time this cemetery has been in the news about its state, and it seems like nothing is being done about it.”

Waldhausen added that Marrc has contacted the municipality on a number of occasions to get the cemetery cleaned.

“It has got to a stage where a group from the northern areas has got together and tried to clean the cemetery, but there is only so much that they can do,” said Waldhausen.

Msunduzi Municipality did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.