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Vandals targeting the Jubilee Park Cemetery in Kariega have left a trail of wanton destruction as nearly 100 tombstones have either been damaged or destroyed.
A resident, Leon Coleske, visited his parent's graves earlier this month and said he was shocked to see that the situation was getting worse.
He blamed the vandalism on drug addicts who continue to plague the community.
Coleske said during his visit, the small office near the entry gate was locked with no caretaker in sight and after dodging a huge pothole on the way in, he was met by the wrecked memorial wall.
Algoa FM news approached the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality for comment.
Spokesperson, Mamela Ndamase, said there is no longer a security guard allocated to the cemetery because of the city's budget constraints.
She did, however, say that a caretaker mows the lawn on a monthly basis.
Asked about whose responsibility it will be to clean up and restore the damaged graves, Ndamase said historically, it has been the responsibility of residents.
"The Municipality does not have any policy that mandates the Public Health Directorate to carry out such work," she said.
Families who want to replace tombstones would have to fork out an additional R5 000- R15 000 depending on the damage.
