A Cemetery in Crisis
Crime and Neglect Haunt Donkerhoek
Rustenburg – For many, visiting the final resting place of a loved one is an act of remembrance and love. However, for those in Rustenburg, a trip to Donkerhoek Cemetery has become a journey of fear.
Community members who wish to pay respects to their departed find themselves faced with overgrown grass, unsafe conditions, and the looming threat of crime. Donkerhoek Cemetery, located near Leading Light Funerals & Rustenburg Crematorium in Watsonia Avenue, has become a place of caution rather than comfort.
Gerhard Janse van Rensburg, a member of Community Police Forum (CPF) sector two, recently struggled to reach the grave of a loved one. “It looks terrible. The grass is so overgrown that in some areas, you can barely see the graves. That’s what makes it so dangerous. Criminals hide behind the bushes and pounce at the perfect time,” he said.
On Sunday, 2 February 2025, Janse van Rensburg attempted to visit the cemetery but was met with a completely inaccessible grave site. “We had to cut a pathway just to reach the grave,” he explained.
Platinum Weekly, accompanied by the CPF, visited the cemetery on Monday, 3 February 2025, to witness the conditions firsthand. The cemetery remains unmaintained, posing both physical and security hazards to visitors.
Community outrage
Democratic Alliance ward 16 councillor Johan Cronje expressed frustration with the Rustenburg Local Municipality’s lack of action. “The municipality has offered no assistance in maintaining the cemetery. We are told there are no tools. If we inquire about purchases, we are told they were stolen from the storeroom. This has been the excuse since I became a councillor in 2019.”
Platinum Weekly reached out to the Rustenburg Local Municipality for comment but has yet to receive a response.
A history of violence
Community members have been voicing concerns for years, with many citing violent incidents as a reason for avoiding the cemetery. Trienie Weitsz, a Rustenburg resident since 1948, has learned this lesson the hard way. “I visit my husband’s grave with my sister only on the Sundays when the Rustenburg Crime Combatting Forum (RCCF) provides security. After my husband passed away, I visited his grave for his first birthday in heaven, only to be assaulted by two men wearing balaclavas. They stole everything from me. Since then, I never go alone.”
Unfortunately, Weitsz’s experience is not an isolated incident.
In October 2023, an elderly couple was attacked while tending to a grave. Their vehicle was broken into, and their belongings were stolen. Despite their efforts to fight off their attackers, they suffered physical injuries and emotional trauma.
In November 2024, a couple endured an even more horrifying experience. They were brutally assaulted by an attacker wielding an Okapi knife. The man suffered severe facial and arm wounds, nearly losing a finger, while his wife was stabbed in the chest. They barely escaped with their lives.
What can be done?
Kobus Ferreira, chairperson of the RCCF, strongly advises against visiting the cemetery alone. “We all know that Donkerhoek Cemetery is not safe, especially with the grass so tall that you can’t even see the gravestones. For safety reasons, it is better to go in a group. Going alone is a risk. Please join us every last Sunday of the month from 10:00 to 14:00 when we provide security.”
For more information on the RCCF, contact 074 327 3041.
As the community calls for urgent intervention, one thing is clear: Donkerhoek Cemetery is in dire need of attention, both in maintenance and security. Families deserve to visit their loved ones without fear. It is time for the authorities to step up and restore dignity to this sacred ground.
