Marianne van Niekerk, Durbanville:
Ons besoek ons ouers se graf in die Memoriumstraat-begraafplaas jaarliks. My ma se ouers het toentertyd 'n plot met vyf grafte gekoop, so dit is vir my baie spesiaal.
Volgens 'n berig in George Herald (Volunteers revamp historical graveyard, 20 Junie 2019), was my oupa, CJ van Huyssteen, die eerste persoon wat daar begrawe is en my pa, GF van Wyk, die laaste. Ons het my ma se as in 2022 ook daar gebêre.
Ons was altyd trots daarop om vir almal te vertel hoe netjies die begraafplaas is. Maar met ons onlangse besoek is die teendeel bewys. Gras en bossies is lank, vullis word oor die draad gegooi en daar is definitief bitter lanklaas skoongemaak.
Hartseer om te dink dit is George se geskiedenis wat daar lê. Sekerlik kan die parke departement op gereelde basis skoonmaak. Ons is met seer harte daar weg, maar vertrou dat daar daadwerklik opgetree sal word.
George-munisipaliteit antwoord soos volg:
George Municipality conducts scheduled maintenance at cemeteries on a monthly basis, which includes grass cutting and the removal of dumped refuse. The latest maintenance cycle took place on 22 March 2025, with the next scheduled cutting set for 7 April 2025.
Unfortunately, there were some delays due to operational challenges faced by the service provider, but the issue has been resolved, and maintenance is back on track.
Refuse dumping remains a challenge as vagrants sometimes leave waste within cemetery grounds. To address this, the municipality conducts weekly inspections and removes refuse whenever identified or reported.
It is important to note that the maintenance of individual gravesites remains the responsibility of the family.
