People are still in shock as the Tshwane residents have started sharing the land with the dead people.
Nowadays cemeteries are treated like any other ordinary place where people can relax or build structures.
This has shocked relatives whose loved ones are buried at a cemetery in Greenfields, Tshwane as squatters now share the space with the dead.
Some shacks are literally inside the cemetery yard.
A worried woman whose father and other relatives are buried there said people are no longer ashamed.
“What’s left is for them to remove the tombstones and build on our graves.”
The cemetery in Hammanskraal extension 4, popularly known as Greenfields, is not fenced, and some shacks have encroached upon the cemetery grounds.
People are flocking to Greenfields after hearing about upcoming developments.
According to local councillor Adam Mashapa, new stands will be serviced soon.
He said that scammers are making the problem worse for desperate people.
They sell structures not meant for living, including the ones within the cemetery grounds.
“They have the map of this area and are placing people in stands, which are not meant for human habitation,” said Mashapa.
The ward 49 councillor said plans are in place to erect a fence around the cemetery to give the dead the dignity they deserve.
“This is a communal cemetery and doesn’t fall under the government’s supervision. We’re planning to fence it to give the dead the respect they deserve,” said the councillor.
Buyers of the cemetery land said they paid for the land.
“They told us that the land we bought is on the map. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We just wanted a place to stay,” said a buyer.
