Karabo Rammutla
Graveyards are supposed to be sacred and peaceful – but not Kgabalatsane in Ga-Rankuwa, where thugs steal from both the dead and the mourners.
Police nabbed three men caught robbing a grave in Kgabalatsane cemetery on Tuesday after kids alerted patrols to a robbery in process.
While mourners pay their last respects, criminals break into their cars and steal their valuables.
When there are no burials, thugs steal alcohol that people use to communicate with their ancestors, ornaments and metal headstones.
The three suspects caught on Tuesday are facing charges of violation of a grave.
Another charge of bribery was added when they tried to bribe the police to let them go.
Pretoria North police spokesperson, Captain Augustine Selepe, said one of the suspects is a sangoma.
ActionSA’s Melusi Setsiba said they staged a campaign on Saturday to mobilise people to sign a petition to get police to patrol the cemetery during burials.
“We also want to patrol the graveyard during the week when there are no burials but we need SAPS and Tshwane Metro police for each to avail a van with two officers. The van will be stationary for our back-up during our operations,” he said.
He said they need police protection because one person was threatened with a knife when she raised an alarm about a car being broken into during a burial.
“We don’t know who is behind these increased robberies. Some suspect nyaope smokers while others blame thugs from the adjacent informal settlement,” he said.
Tryphina Monyebodi said her car was broken into two weeks ago at the cemetery.
“My handbag with bank cards, ID and other cards was stolen. There was only R100 in the bag; they could have just taken the R100 and left my cards. Now I have to go up and down applying for new cards,” she said.
She said she was shocked that someone could rob mourners.
“People are immoral. How do you see an opportunity to make money while people are grieving?” she said.
