Residents open criminal case against Polokwane Municipality over alleged damage to grave site

Some aggrieved residents have opened a criminal case against the Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo for allegedly damaging the graves of their loved ones. This after flowers, ornaments and other beautification items were removed and destroyed during the municipality’s grave levelling process at Silicon graveyard.

Residents are demanding answers and financial compensation. They have been at loggerheads with the Polokwane municipality over the matter since March this year.

In 2020, 61 year-old Alet Pieterse buried her husband at the Silicon graveyard after he succumbed to COVID-19 related complications. He was laid to rest in this section of the cemetery with many others who also died of related complications from the dreaded virus.

Pieterse says the only way to mourn her husband’s death was by planting lawn on his grave. A furious Pieterse claims the municipality, however, destroyed and removed the lawn twice in a matter of months.

Residents demand answers following grave site allegedly being damaged:

“When I came here again, they took half the grass away with machines and when I got here again after two weekends or a weekend, then again they took out the last bit of grass. I took out a criminal case against the members of the municipality, at this stage there is evidence which came to hand which I will submit to SAPS during the cause of next week,” says Pieterse.

Pieterse told SABC News that she and others have opened a criminal case against the municipality after their plea for compensation fell on deaf ears.

The Polokwane Municipality has apologised for the damage caused. Spokesperson of the municipality Thipa Selala says they are not allowed to comment further as the matter is now in the court of law.

“The municipality has apologised and we continue to apologise further, civil and criminal case has been opened against the municipality. The case is in for judicial consideration and this means it cannot be discussed anywhere else further, so we cannot further [talk] about the issue, so let’s allow the process to unfold further and give the court that opportunity,” says Selala.

The matter will be heard in court in due course.