SIMBA RUSHWAYA
Pretoria Bureau Chief
PRETORIA – THE spat between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) in Pretoria has taken another twist with the opposition claiming the city had constructed houses on land previously used as a graveyard in Mamelodi.

DA has taken the rival party to court over, denouncing the alleged turning of an old burial ground to establish Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses as an “insult” and “arrogant.”

Solly Msimanga, the DA mayoral candidate ahead of the elections scheduled for August, has been vocal on the issue.

“The City of Tshwane has incredulously built RDP houses on top of deceased people’s graves,” says Msimanga.

“Notwithstanding, the DA previously laying criminal charges against the City of Tshwane for this very action, the City continues unabated with the
gross and inhumane common law crime of ‘violating a grave.’”

To add another twist to the developments, the ownership of the land where the houses are built is said to be disputed and subject to an ongoing case at the Land Claims Court.

“Over and above the legal disputes regarding the land, it is plainly immoral to destroy people’s final place of rest and then to add insult to injury to be arrogant about it.”

Msimanga says DA regards the “wanton” destruction of graves as “an insult” to the people of the city.

“It is anathema to the values we espouse and expect any city government to respect,” he says.

The ANC-controlled City of Tshwane has dismissed the reports.

“The City has high regard of graves,” the city said I response to questions by Gauteng Guardian.

“It will be appreciated if proof of such occurrence can be presented or the said site could be pointed out to the City officials at our Region six Municipal offices in Mamelodi.”

It is not the first time the two parties have clashed over graves.

In February, the opposition alleged the city had destroyed more than 600 graves in Pretoria East.

ANC dismissed the allegations as “politicking” with elections on the horizon.

A senior resident of the city, Alice Mgidlana (73), says destroying a grave is forbidden.

“Although I am not very clear on what is happening on the ground, I must tell you that in our culture, it is a taboo to destroy graves. Graves are by nature sacred and must not be touched for whatever reason. If it is true that graves were tampered with, then God forbid,” says Mgidlana.