Crime, vandalism and poor maintenance are some of the complaints residents have raised about Kraaifontein Cemetery in Windsor Park.
Northern News received a frantic call from a woman who claimed that she had been robbed of her handbag at the Kraaifontein Cemetery on Saturday February 15.
According to the 29-year-old Scottsdene resident, who did not want to be named, she knows her attackers and fears for her safety in the community.
She said she was on the way to visit her father’s grave after 11am when she noticed two men following her.
While clutching her handbag, she decided to walk faster.
“When I picked up my pace, the two men did the same.”
But when she turned around, one of the men grabbed her handbag and she called them out by name.
She believes the men may not have recognised her. “It’s not everyday that I have my hair straight and wear make-up. When I am at home, I wear my flip flops and old clothes. So I don’t think they recognised me.”
She did not report the case to police because, she “did not want to make a scene,” but instead wanted to warn residents not to visit the cemetery alone.
“I didn’t worry about my bag being stolen because all that was in there was a R15, old receipts and my child’s school picture. But I hope that this will be an eye-opener for other people who go there” she said.
She feels that she has been struck by bad luck because when she got to her father’s grave, she found big cement rocks and debris strewn over it and some neighbouring graves.