City of Johannesburg Condemns Tombstone Theft and Vandalism at Graveyards, SA Reacts to Crime Trend

• The City of Johannesburg has addressed the recent theft and vandalism of tombstones at multiple Gauteng cemeteries
• Criminals are targeting cemeteries in order to harvest granite and scrap metal for resale on an illegal black market
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the criminal trend, with many sharing their own experiences of the crime

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG - The City of Johannesburg has publicly condemned a growing pattern of tombstone theft and vandalism at cemeteries across the Gauteng province, with several sites already confirmed as targets.

Cemeteries including Avalon, Slovoville, and Doornkop have been hit, leaving bereaved families to bear both the financial cost of replacing memorials and the emotional burden of seeing their loved ones' graves desecrated.

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Thieves are stripping cemeteries of high-value granite headstones, which are then polished, re-cut, and sold as new memorials to other grieving families, or repurposed into household items such as kitchen countertops. Metal plaques, frames, and cemetery fencing are sold to scrap yards or melted down to prevent tracing.

Gravesite Watch initiative launched

The condemnation of the crime trend came during the official launch of the Gravesite Watch initiative, where Community Development Member of the Mayoral Committee, Thapelo Amad, acknowledged the severity of the problem and called for collective action.

"We have budget constraints. We have a private sector that we want to partner with. We have members of civil societies. We have members of churches, NPOs and NGOs that, if we can join hands, we can fight the scourge," Amad said.

How did South Africans react?

Residents responded with frustration and personal accounts after the story made the news.

Patricia Phosa wrote:

"Even at Slovo, my mom's tombstone was stolen last month."

Busi Mando Lamtfombeni Lamagagula added:

"Even in Ekurhuleni, my grandfather's tombstone is down."

Effort Tqb Mpesi asked simply:

"Where is the respect (UBUNTU)?"

Sipopa Gamakwenda Pride noted the problem extended beyond South Africa's borders, writing:

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"Unfortunately, the same is happening here in Livingstone, Zambia. The two governments (S A and Zambia) should abolish scrap metal businesses."

Other stories about theft at graveyards

• An Eastern Cape man was nabbed for stealing bronze fists from Steve Biko’s tombstone.
• A Bloemfontein cemetery was filmed in a heartbreaking state, with missing tombstones and damaged graves.
• Limpopo police were left scratching their heads after thieves dug up a grave and stole the corpse.

Source: Briefly News