GOBABIS – The Epako Cemetery, one of Gobabis’ oldest graveyards and once a tranquil sanctuary of remembrance and history honouring the departed is a shadow of its former self.
It has now turned into a dumping site where piles of trash and debris are strewn across the once-sacred grounds. The tombstones, which were decades ago glittering and majestic, are now toppled and broken.
The cemetery, which has for almost 60 years served the Epako community as a peaceful and dignified resting place for their loved ones has become an eyesore for the residents as it now resembles neglect and sorrow.
Heaps of broken bottles, plastic bags and discarded household items litter the grounds on the boundaries of the gravesite, turning the consecrated space into an unsightly mess where there is no peace, dignity and grace for the dead.
Heartbroken
Anastencia Gorases, a resident of Epako whose mother and uncle are buried there, said the gravesite has become a place of shame and heartbreak. She said their loved ones are now languishing among littered bottles and plastic bags and are being trampled upon by strangers who use the unfenced cemetery as a shortcut to adjacent residential areas.
“There has been no fence around the gravesite for many years now, and as a result, people have been dumping their waste here, including plastic bags, bottles and even rotten food. When you look around, you will also notice that people have created walkways that serve as shortcuts to their homes. So, they walk freely through the graves to their homes, and sometimes they trample on unmarked graves. It is a very sad situation. My mother and uncle are buried there, and in 2024, we had to re-erect my uncle’s tombstone because someone knocked it down,” said Gorases.
Another resident, Pohamba Tjomainja, whose house is much closer to the dilapidated gravesite, said the smell and sight of the cemetery have become unbearable, as people dump rotten food and carcasses of dead dogs and cats there.
“Even if you go there now, you will find either a dead dog or cat dumped there, and the smell that comes from the heaps of dirt at the graveyard is truly unbearable. You can’t even sit outside and have a decent meal; the smell will chase you inside the house,” narrated Tjomainja.
He added: “The municipality should do something about this situation; even putting up a fence around it will be helpful as people will not be able to dump things there. There is no dignity and peace for our loved ones buried there,” stated Tjomainja.
Many of the tombstones at the cemetery, some which are decades old, have been toppled and damaged, while others are leaning perilously and threatening to collapse further.
Inspection
Upon close inspection, the inscriptions on many of the tombstones are fading into obscurity under layers of dirt and neglect.
Further away but not too far from the cemetery, a group of young boys and girls could be seen playing soccer and freely engaging in various games.
Tjomainja said “at times, those kids you see over there also play in the graveyard. I don’t understand how their games work, but I think they play the hide-and-seek game, because you will just see them running and chasing each other around those tombstones. It seems like they are not even scared; maybe it’s because they are too young to understand the importance of not playing in such a sensitive area where their loved ones are resting.”
Interventions
Meanwhile, Gobabis municipality CEO Sophia Eises said she is aware of the situation but could not share what the municipality plans to do about the degrading situation at the Epako cemetery, as only the town’s mayor Elwin Gariseb and the municipality’s spokesperson Taekulu Ueitele are permitted to comment on such issues.
“They are the only two who can comment on that issue. Unfortunately, that’s the communication setup we have in place. Although I wish I could assist you with more information, they [Gariseb and Ueitele] are the only ones permitted to speak to the media,” stated Eises.
Further efforts to get comment from Gariseb and Ueitele proved futile as they were both out of the country on official business.