Staff Reporter
A Free State municipality has pleaded with community members who feared the remains of their dearly departed could be submerged in water or washed away following the heavy rains that have pounded the province in recent days not to worry.
This comes after pictures of flooded graves at Dasklip Cemetery in Frankfort, a farming town that lies about 354km north-west of provincial capital Bloemfontein, went viral on social media, prompting the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) to challenge the local authorities to act promptly to protect the sanctity of the dead.
Mafube Local Municipality, which runs the town, says all is well at the grave yard.
Acting municipal manager Diao Ramabitsa told The Free Stater that only empty graves had filled up with water as seen in the pictures circulating on social media platforms following heavy rains in the area.
There was no flooding at the cemetery and all the graves were safe and intact, he said.
“The municipality has made an in loco inspection of the cemetery following social media posts that came to the attention of management and council,” Ramabitsa, who is also the municipality’s director for planning and infrastructure, said.
He said the cemetery had two main types of soil, namely sand soil which drains fast when it rains and loam which takes a bit longer.
According to Ramabitsa, the cemetery was demarcated into three sections based on the soil types and that the ponds seen in the photos were actually empty graves in which rainwater had accumulated.
“Site A is made up of a mixture of sand and loam soil – the chemical properties of sand soil are of such a nature that water will seep into the soil faster than it would in clay soil,” he explained.
“To avoid inconveniencing undertakers and (bereaved) families in case our equipment breaks down, some graves are dug in advance.”
Ramabitsa said he was aware some families were unsettled as they thought the water level in the cemetery had risen and that their loved ones could be lying in pools of water.
This, however, was not the case.
“Whilst still at the cemetery . . . we had a TLB dig a few places and it was discovered that such conclusions were misleading and untrue,” he said.
Ramabitsa said it was then agreed that the section currently being used and where some graves had been prepared should not be used for now due to the accumulated water.
Burials are expected to continue.
Last week, YCLSA secretary for the Josie Mpama district, Edgar Legoale, issued a statement expressing concern at what they believed was an unsightly state of the cemetery following complaints from the community.
“. . . municipalities have a constitutional duty to provide a harmonious living environment to the communities they are serving,” Legoale said.
He then urged Mafube and the Fezile Dabi District Municipality to act swiftly to address the situation at the cemetery and make it a decent final resting place for the deceased.
