To: The Management and Administration of Slovoville Cemetery, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), and the City of Johannesburg

 

 Why This Matters

Our loved ones deserve to rest in dignity and peace. However, visiting the graves of our family members at Slovoville Cemetery has become a heartbreaking experience due to ongoing, unchecked criminal activity and severe administrative neglect.

 

Instead of a protected, sacred space of remembrance, the cemetery has been left vulnerable to lawlessness. Families are arriving at the final resting places of their mothers, fathers, children, and ancestors only to find devastation.

 

We are facing an unacceptable crisis on your watch:

 

Rampant Vandalism and Theft: Precious tombstones, granite markers, and memorial structures are being systematically smashed, dismantled, and stolen from the grounds.

Complete Lack of Security: With broken or missing perimeter fencing, zero controlled access points, and no visible monitoring, criminals and vagrants roam the cemetery unchecked day and night.

Failure of Duty: Management has failed to provide the basic physical security, lighting, boundary maintenance, and operational oversight necessary to protect a public burial site.

 

This is a profound violation of public trust and human dignity. As the management and governing authorities responsible for Slovoville Cemetery, you must be held accountable for this ongoing failure to protect our families' graves.

 

Our Demands

 

We, the undersigned residents, families, and community members, demand that the management of Slovoville Cemetery and municipal authorities take immediate, emergency action to:

 

1. Secure the Perimeter Immediately: Install heavy-duty, high-security fencing around the entire perimeter of Slovoville Cemetery and establish controlled, monitored entry gates.

2. Deploy 24/7 On-Site Security: Implement round-the-clock physical security guards and active municipal law enforcement (JMPD) patrols to halt ongoing vandalism and protect gravesites.

3. nvestigate and Crack Down on Theft: Cooperate fully with the SAPS to investigate the theft and resale of tombstones, and ensure that those responsible—including any negligent internal parties—are held accountable.

4. Restore Facility Management: Establish a transparent, responsive management structure committed to regular maintenance, groundskeeping, and the preservation of the cemetery.

 

Our families deserve peace, and our ancestors deserve respect. We demand accountability and immediate intervention from management.

 

**Stand with us. Sign and share this petition to demand that Slovoville Cemetery management secures and protects our loved ones' resting places.**