Windhoek urges families to maintain relatives’ graves

By Ludorf Iyambo

The City of Windhoek says families should maintain their relatives’ graves and memorial structures.
This includes any necessary repairs, beautification efforts such as planting flowers, and general cleaning of the gravesite.
This comes after the recent heavy rains destroyed several graves at the Gammams cemetery in Windhoek.
City of Windhoek spokesperson Lydia Amutenya says families should visit cemeteries to assess if there is any necessary repairs needed on their loved ones’ graves.
“The City of Windhoek does not maintain individual gravesites. However, it is responsible for the overall maintenance of cemetery facilities.
“This includes grass cutting, weeding, litter control, fence maintenance, and horticultural care, such as planting and pruning trees and shrubs within cemeteries,” says Amutenya.
Amutenya says the City is responsible for managing grass and vegetation in common areas, including spaces between graves, pathways, and general cemetery grounds.
She adds that rapid grass growth is expected due to the heavy rainfall this season.
The City has scheduled periodic clearing and weeding, prioritizing active burial sections and main access routes to ensure the cemeteries remain accessible and well-kept.
“Currently, contractors are deployed at all active cemeteries, including Gammams and Oponganda, to ensure these facilities remain well-kept.
For cemeteries that have reached capacity, such as Khomasdal, Katutura, and Old Location, maintenance efforts focus on entrance areas and sections where second interments or burials on reserved plots still occur,” She states.
She further says full-scale seasonal cleaning is conducted after the rainy season, depending on its intensity and duration, typically once or twice a year.