Despite claims to the contrary, there have been no cases of coffins being stolen out of graves at the Zwartkop cemetery.

This after a resident told Rekord that she had heard that criminals were digging up graves to steal the coffins.

The resident was concerned that the cemetery was being patrolled by the police and private security on an ad-hoc basis instead of a 24-hour guard.

But Captain Agnes Huma of the Wierdabrug police said that no case of tomb-raiding had been reported at the station.

ALSO READ: VIDEO: Plans to expand Centurion Cemetery

Ward councillor Peter Sutton also said he had not received any reports of coffins being stolen though he knew that it was a problem at some cemeteries.

“I do know that in some areas coffins are buried inside concrete to keep them from being stolen but we have not received a single report of this happening at the Zwartkop cemetery,” said Sutton.

Sutton said that since the cemetery had reached capacity, no new burials had taken place there for some years meaning the coffins were old and therefore not be worth much.

“What I can confirm though is that the cemetery has become deteriorated. There is vandalism and I am trying to get the metro to do something about that,” said Sutton.

He pointed out that one of the toilets had been vandalised.

Sutton told Rekord in June that plans to expand the cemetery would hopefully circumvent the lack of maintenance.

He said plans were recently put in place to expand the cemetery into the nearby 6.7ha veld, which would increase capacity by between 300 and 400%.

The expansion would include the hiring of a 24-hour guard and the building of a brick wall around the cemetery, with an entrance only from Edward Street.

The Tshwane metro had not commented on the state of the cemetery at the time of going to print.

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