The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Eastern Cape Provincial Government to launch an investigation to probe the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality’s (IYLM) apparent mismanagement and lack of progress surrounding the development of the Central Cemetery in Nxuba.
Despite the R6 million the municipality has already spent, this project shows little to no progress.
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The contractor is reportedly off-site, and serious concerns have emerged about the land’s suitability for burials, including doubts over whether a proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted. Even more concerning is that the IYLM is apparently allocating an additional R5 million, despite the project’s stalled state and lack of accountability.
I have written to the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, requesting an urgent investigation into the matter.
This project is of critical importance to the community due to the derelict state of the Nxuba Cemetery. The Nxuba Cemetery lies in a state of disarray, with graves scattered randomly across the site. It seems that whenever a vacant space is identified, a new grave is dug without any consideration for the site’s historical integrity or spatial planning.
In February of this year, I wrote to the IYLM Mayor to highlight the appalling state of the Nxuba Cemetery.
The mayor’s response stands in contrast to the findings from our three oversight inspections to the Nxuba Cemetery conducted this year. In her reply, she also refers to the development of the Central Cemetery, seemingly suggesting it as a solution to the overcapacity at the Nxuba Cemetery. However, with that project currently stalled, the Nxuba Cemetery continues to be neglected, with no clear resolution in sight.
In February, given the Nxuba Cemetery’s historical significance dating back to the 1800s, I submitted a request to SAHRA and ECPHRA for investigation. I have yet to receive a response.
While the municipality drags its feet and mismanages a cemetery development, the people of Nxuba and the memories of their loved ones are being subjected to ongoing neglect, marked by a lack of respect and dignity.
The DA will not allow this injustice to continue. The people of Nxuba and the memories of their departed loved ones deserve better. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.