A cemetery is generally accepted as the final resting place for those we have loved and lost. Some religiously believe that one should not mess around with the dead or their graves, but in Dopeni village, in Nzhelele, these notions do not seem to be taken very seriously.
The community was deeply disturbed when unknown persons began stealing and vandalising tombstones in the local graveyard. Every now and again, they would wake up to the heartbreaking news that yet more tombstones had been stolen or broken. The audacity of these thieves to continue their destructive operations over a period of time prompted the residents to be vigilant and, in the end, their collective efforts proved fruitful. Early on the morning of Wednesday, 18 October, two suspects, believed to be responsible for the tombstone thefts, were finally arrested in the village.
Mr Richard Mukhaninga, the secretary of Dopeni SANCO, said the suspects had confessed to stealing tombstones. "This issue with tombstone theft started a long time ago. As soon as the funeral undertakers finished installing tombstones, these thieves would go and steal them, polish the inscriptions out, and then resell them to other people and the owners of illegal funeral parlours," he said.
One of the witnesses, who wished to remain anonymous, said the suspects had apparently even approached grieving families during funerals, offering to sell them tombstones at lower prices.
Mr Shonani Lieba, the founder of Lieba Brothers Funeral Groups, explained the financial toll this has taken on his business. "We were forced to replace the stolen tombstones for our clients at no cost, which has caused us significant financial loss. We welcome these arrests; it is a relief for us. We have also found the suspects in possession of many of the stolen tombstones," he said.
Makhado police spokesperson Sergeant Tshifhiwa Radzilani confirmed the incident. "We have opened a case of theft, and two suspects were taken in for questioning. One is a minor," she said.