Marthina Mutanga
RELATIVES of people buried in the cemetery at Usakos were left distraught after vandals defaced several graves over the past week.
Usakos Town Councillor, Ivan Lombard, said the local authority is blaming it on the re-opening of alcohol sale because most of the damage was done during the past week.
“The Namibian Police were informed about the vandalism and is currently busy looking for the culprits and registering cases of malicious damage to property,” Lombard said.
He said that since the sale of liquor restarted earlier this week when the country progressed to Stage 3 of the State of Emergency certain elements of the community have again started loitering in and around the cemetery. Lombard pointed out that the fence around the premises has been stolen quite a while ago which gives vagrants free access.
“Headstones have a deep and lasting significance to people’s families and their descendants, and should always be treated with dignity and respect, no matter the age of the grave,” Lombard said.
Lombard noted that the council already identified a few suspects that have been seen wandering around the cemetery while obviously drunk.
“It seems that they vent their morbid fantasies and their emotional problems by pushing over the silent markers of the departed. It is very sad to see people demolishing property with such personal and sentimental value,” he said.
According to Lombard, the recent vandalism at the cemetery is the first time for the town council and he gave the assurance that the local authority will not allow it to happen again.
