The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally called on Sol Plaatje Municipal Manager, Mr Thapelo Matlala, to urgently intervene in the ongoing and unacceptable mismanagement of Kimberley’s municipal cemeteries, which continues to rob grieving families of dignity and respect.
An oversight inspection conducted last week at Phutanang Cemetery revealed persistent operational failures, including poor budgeting, ineffective project implementation, and a complete breakdown in day-to-day management.
The cemetery grounds were found to be overgrown, filthy, and abandoned, with no workers on site responsible for maintenance or cleaning. An active sewerage leak continues to contaminate the cemetery, posing a serious health risk to the public and further degrading this sacred space.
The old cemetery building, which houses offices and ablution facilities, has been vandalised and left in a state of decay, and is an eyesore.
Even more concerning is that new ablution facilities, completed in February 2025 at significant public expense, remain unused nearly a year later. This is due to the Infrastructure Department’s failure to connect the water and sewer pipelines. This is a glaring example of administrative incompetence and wasteful expenditure.
The DA has repeatedly raised these issues in meetings of the Community Services Unit. However, the Executive Director continues to evade accountability by failing to attend meetings, with no action taken against him for his ongoing dereliction of duty.
Following an oversight visit to the Ramatsela Cemetery in Galeshewe in October 2025, the DA previously warned of cemetery mismanagement. At the time, we called on the entire municipal political leadership and management to attend the next Community Services meeting to resolve these issues. More than three months later, nothing has changed.
I have now submitted a formal written request to Mr Matlala, demanding that the Executive Director’s continued absence be urgently addressed and that his poor management of municipal cemeteries be reflected in his performance assessment.
The people of Sol Plaatje municipality deserve better. Families have a right to bury and visit their loved ones in clean, safe, and dignified spaces.