Denied dignity in death …Gobabis cemetery turns into dumpsite

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.