Durban — The residents of Waterloo, north of Durban, said they were living in fear after discovering what appeared to be graves near their homes in the eMaGroundini area.
Residents said they had uncovered what appeared to be a burial ground while they were cleaning the sports grounds there last month. They came across “dunes” that looked like graves, but without tombstones.
Themba Ntuli, 62, one of the residents participating in the clean-up, said they had to stop cleaning when they came across more graves. Ntuli said the clean-up began after a councillor told them an organisation wanted to help revive the sports grounds by erecting fences and fixing the changing rooms.
There were originally three grounds, two for soccer and one for netball. However, only the soccer grounds remained.
“We took it upon ourselves to at least try and clean the grounds by cutting the grass so that when the sponsors arrive they will see that, as the community, we see the importance of these grounds,” Ntuli said.
Thandiwe Xaba, 63, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years and has accompanied her sons to soccer matches at the grounds, said residents were afraid.
“I have lived in the area long enough – and close to these grounds – to know that these graves are new. Now what is most terrifying is that there is a possibility that people are burying people while we are sleeping. I have seen quite a few people, about five, carrying a coffin across the river. I even informed one officer living in the area but she never followed up. I never thought there could be graves close to our households. I am fearful that people could be murdered and buried here,” said Xaba.
Tholithemba Mthiyane, a former proportional representation councillor for Waterloo, said they had reported the matter to the ward councillor and police in Verulam, but the police would only come to the site after the municipality had conducted an investigation.
“After hearing the rumours I decided to inspect the area. I then conducted a bit of research about the area and I found out that in the 1990s people used to bury here,” he said.
This raised questions about whether the municipality had purposely built RDP houses in an area that was once used as a burial site, he added.
Mthiyane said they were expecting feedback from the municipality. He suggested that if there were graves, they should be moved away from the community.
Ward 106 councillor Johnson Chetty said he had arranged a meeting with the Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Department management for Thursday.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the municipality was not aware there were graves in the area.
“Graves are considered to be sacred in our society. Once the municipality has been alerted it will determine its next course of action in this regard,” said Mayisela.
Daily News