Residents in Mariental in the Hardap Region, particularly those in the Empelheim neighbourhood have urged the local municipality to clean up the cemetery, which has been neglected for months.
According to locals who contacted this agency, Mariental has three graveyards; one in the Empelheim suburb, one in Aimablaagte, and one in the town area – indicating that the two cemeteries located in the suburbs, as opposed to the one located in town, have been in severe disrepair.
According to the residents, Empelheim Cemetery has a caretaker who works for the municipality and is in charge of watering the plants. However, due to the heavy rain at the beginning of the year, the cemetery’s condition is deteriorating by the day.
“Lawn maintenance is the most visible aspect of cemetery maintenance. Because grass grows throughout most cemeteries, regular mowing and tree maintenance are essential. In addition, those in charge of the cemetery must perform seasonal clean-ups, irrigation, soil testing and fertilising; however, none of this has been done in a long time at our cemetery,” said the residents.
They also stated that while it is the responsibility of family members to care for their deceased loved ones’ graves, it is the municipality’s responsibility to keep the property in good condition, adding that cemeteries serve as both a place of rest for the deceased and a place of visitation for bereaved family members and “not a place where you have to bring a shovel when you want to visit the grave because you have to clear a path to the graves”.
“Cemeteries can have a negative connotation, evoking painful memories for people. But in can also be very sentimental places for people. Maintenance personnel are thus responsible for creating and maintaining a distinct environment that is welcoming, clean and well-organised,” one resident noted.
Nampa on Monday spoke to Mariental Municipality Community Development Officer, Domingo Matesu, who said the municipality is well aware of the condition of all three cemeteries and that the authority has resorted to every option that is within available resources to ensure the cemeteries are well looked after.
“Because the country has just finished its rainy season, it is natural for there to be an overabundance of what the community is referring to. For each cemetery, we have one labourer. That labourer does everything on their own, with no help. The municipality has noticed that the workload has increased particularly after the rain; however, due to the financial constraints that everyone is experiencing, the municipality cannot afford to hire additional help,” he stated.
Matesu said that through the municipality’s efforts, it received assistance from the Mariental Correctional Facility, which aided with some prisoners who were willing to help clean the cemeteries, but that this was only a temporary arrangement.
“Through our communication through local channels, the municipality also appealed to the community to come forth and assist, as at the end of the day the municipality can only do so much,” he cited.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
