Windhoek bans cemetery parties after mourners caught drinking and socialising at Gammams burial site

The City of Windhoek has warned the public against turning cemeteries into spaces of entertainment.

This follows a recent incident at Gammams Cemetery at Pioneerspark, where mourners were reported to have hosted a social gathering after a burial.

“The City of Windhoek reminds the public that cemeteries are sacred spaces reserved only for burials and remembrance of the deceased.

Social gatherings, alcohol consumption and littering within cemetery grounds are strictly prohibited,” Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye says.

He says videos and photographs circulated on social media show seating arrangements, cooler boxes and alcohol inside the cemetery.

According to Akwenye, city officials who inspected the site afterwards discovered piles of litter, including bottles and cans, scattered across graves and walkways.

The municipality condemns the behaviour and describes it as disrespectful to the dignity of the deceased, disruptive to other grieving families and damaging to the solemn atmosphere of cemeteries.

In a public notice issued this week, the municipality says cemeteries are not venues for celebrations or socialising.

It says alcohol consumption and any form of gatherings after burials are strictly prohibited, reminding residents that leaving behind bottles, cans or any other form of waste constitutes an offence.

The municipality says it has a duty to safeguard the integrity of cemeteries and the rights of bereaved families.

“Strict monitoring and enforcement will continue to ensure cemeteries remain places of peace, reverence and dignity,” Akwenye says.

As reported earlier by a daily newspaper, Windhoek residents who have relatives buried at municipal cemeteries at Katutura and Khomasdal say the final resting places of their loved ones are neglected.

The residents further claim that passers-by often relieve themselves in the graveyard because it is bushy, and the guards are not able to spot them.

“Just try to walk around; you will see the human waste around.

There is no proper care, and now that there is long grass, people are hiding there,” says a woman who opted to remain anonymous.

Another resident says the negligence of the place makes the work of the security guards in protecting the tombstones from thievery very difficult.

“Most of the tombstones are vandalised, and some are stolen. You cannot blame the two females who are patrolling there.

At night, it is dark. During the day, it is bushy. What can they do?”

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