As tombstones crumble, metal plaques are stolen and cemetery records disappear, volunteers are racing against time to document the final resting places of thousands of South Africans before they are lost forever.
It may seem macabre to photograph graves, but as cemeteries wilt under the pressures of vandalism, urban decay and Father Time, the Gravestone Photos Project is trying to preserve them for posterity.
At least 960,000 grave photographs have been uploaded onto the website of the electronic branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa (eGGSA) since 2006.
“The project covers all cemetery data of South African interest, inside and outside of South Africa,” said project co-ordinator Riana le Roux.
“It may provide unique information on the deceased, as well as information on family...
“Graves and gravestones also provide a commentary on cultural issues and social norms at a time and place. The photographs thus act as a means for preserving some cultural heritage.”
The project welcomes photo contributions from anyone who has documented a burial site.
However photographing graves in South Africa is not without its perils.
“People cannot visit graves in most towns or cities anymore, due to the risk of being mugged or attacked,” said Le Roux. “Most of our regular contributors form small groups to record the cemeteries to minimise the risk. Many cemeteries are neglected as well, with fallen trees, deep holes, long grass, snakes, drug deals going down and homeless people sleeping among the graves, increasing the risk.
“Brass, copper, iron and any metal objects surrounding the graves or part of the gravestone get stolen,” Le Roux said.
“Memorial walls get destroyed by breaking open the niches to get to the ashes, like what happened in the Braamfontein cemetery a while ago.”
Some reports have suggested that addicts mix human ashes with their drugs.
“Our photographs assisted a group who voluntarily repaired the memorial walls after the destruction. Apart from the vandalism, the steady decay through time makes inscriptions more difficult to read,” Le Roux said.
“In many cases, cemetery records have disappeared or are no longer legible, so there are no records of the graves, except for the photographs.”
Some farm cemeteries are also no longer accessible due to the security measures landowners have implemented to prevent farm attacks.
“It is very difficult to find these small cemeteries and to obtain permission from the owners to record the graves,” said Le Roux.
Christopher Fitchet from George has taken more than 350,000 photographs in 944 cemeteries since he began researching his uncommon surname.
He visited family graves in the Eastern Cape for clues to his family tree, but it “soon became evident” that he needed to be more ambitious in recording grave sites.
“In Bloemfontein’s Memoriam Road cemetery, I found the niche [a wall structure with compartments] containing the ashes of a direct family member lying on the ground. The wall has been destroyed — at least 50% is no longer visible.”
Fitchet said many people took the attitude that it was a municipality’s responsibility to look after cemeteries, but “we do live in South Africa and we know that they will not and do not”.
“There is a steady increase in the destruction and one cannot help but think that this is deliberate,” he said.
“Why the churches and communities don’t step in is also beyond me. There is almost no cemetery that I have photographed where there has not been some form of vandalism and destruction.”
Some cemeteries are reaching capacity, so more people are considering cremation.
Johannesburg City Parks & Zoo (JCPZ) recently announced that Westpark Cemetery in Montgomery Park will be full by May. The cemetery is limiting burials to 15 a week and the city has urged residents to consider alternatives such as reopening graves, cremation and mausoleums.
Drug addicts break into cemeteries, destroying memorial walls and even using ashes for illicit purposes
— Johan Rousseau, president of the Funeral Industry Reformed Association
“Of the city’s 42 cemeteries, 39 have reached full capacity and JCPZ is calling on families, religious leaders and funeral homes to efficiently use existing burial spaces,” said spokesperson Jenny Moodley.
Amogelang Digwamaje saw a business opportunity in looking after graves. His company, which operates on the West Rand, Mogale City and surrounding areas, charges between R200 and R400 for its grave-cleaning services.
“People hire me because many graves are neglected, covered in dirt and have broken tombstones. Most families don’t have the time to visit or maintain the resting places of their loved ones. Many of my clients are women who can’t handle the physical labour,” he said.
“Vandalism is a major issue. Many graves are damaged because cemeteries lack security and proper fencing.”
Johan Rousseau, president of the Funeral Industry Reformed Association, said cemeteries across South Africa were in a “shocking state”.
“Funds meant for their upkeep are not properly allocated. Drug addicts break into cemeteries, destroying memorial walls and even using ashes for illicit purposes. The lack of security is a nationwide crisis.”
He accused the government of failures of management.
“Government oversight is lacking, and no new land is being allocated for burials. Everyone talks about alternatives, but legislation slows progress. For example, getting a crematorium license in South Africa takes years because decisions are based on assumptions rather than facts.”
SIDEBAR
Aquamation, a water-based form of corpse disposal, is growing fast in South Africa. The only company that provides the service, Avbob, handles about 120 bodies a month.
“Both our facilities, in Cape Town and Pretoria, are running at full capacity,” said Avbob funeral service general manager Pieter van der Westhuizen.
The company plans to add three more facilities this year.
Families that choose aquamation, which costs R3,500, usually do so as an alternative to cremation, not to burial.
“Culture mostly determines the type of body disposal that a family will choose,” Van der Westhuizen said.
“While cremations are growing among all population groups it is growing extremely slowly among most African cultures, where burial remains the preferred choice, mostly influenced by cultural practices and belief systems.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in 2022, chose aquamation, which is regarded as more environmentally friendly than cremation.
The body is placed in a pressurised metal cylinder with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide and heated to about 150°C for three-four hours. Everything but the bones dissolves, and these are heated until they turn to ash.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.