Motion to Close Old Cemetery in Walvis Bay Sparks Debate

A motion tabled by councillor Buddy Bramwell to close the old cemetery situated in the industrial area of Walvis Bay sparked debate amongst the councillors at the recent council meeting. Bramwell explained that the old cemetery in the industrial area is no longer in use and that it is situated on prime property that is surrounded by thriving industries.“My proposal to Council is to obtain, register, and list all the names of citizens of Walvis Bay who were interred there. Exhume all the remains that are still in the ground and inter them in a single grave in the present cemetery. “Remove all surviving tombstones and place them in a line against the wall to the right of the entrance to the cemetery. Erect a single tombstone with the names of all the deceased who were buried in the old cemetery and maintain it along with all the other tombstones in the present cemetery.”Councillor Ryan Gordon opposed the motion, stating that it is inhumane to remove these graves.“On Cassinga Day, we remembered those who lost their lives fighting for this country. They were buried, and most of them were forgotten. Now we stand at a crossroads where we want to dig up graves and build a factory because it’s the only place left in the industrial area. “Do we know how much money it will cost the municipality? Do we know how much pain we will bring to some people?“Do we know that at this moment we need to build houses for our people, and yet we want to fight over land that was earmarked for that purpose?”Bramwell further explained that most of the younger generations do not know that part of the northern wing of the Civic Centre up to an area within the Old Age Home of Huis Palms used to be the main cemetery for Walvis Bay.“This was a unique one for the time, as people from all groups were buried here. Most of the graves were unmarked, however, and only had wooden crosses without names on them. Very few had any headstones.”He explained that when the planning of the construction of the current Town Hall and Civic Centre started in the early 1960s, it was decided to close the cemetery and move all the remains to another area.“This was known as the Mulderene Street cemetery, located in the middle of nowhere at the time and today within the heart of the heavy and noxious industrial area near the fishing factories. Again, the remains were reburied in unmarked graves, and where there were gravestones, those were moved as well.”He further explained that the Mulderene Street Cemetery has fallen into total disrepair.“A lot of the unmarked graves had to withstand the onslaught of nature. Winds blow some graves open and shift sand so that, at times, some of the remains are left in the open. It had been observed that dogs were chewing on human skeletal remains there, and some children were even found to be playing with the skulls of people long dead. As councillors, to not act and react on this means that we condone the situation, and the disrespect for the dead, known to us or unknown, does not matter.”On a historical front, the wife of the founder of Walvis Bay’s harbour and the father of the 1st railway line to Plum, John James Cleverly, Edith Helen Newham, was the very first person to be buried there in 1898, almost 125 years ago. She died at the age of 39 during childbirth. Cleverly was the Magistrate of Walvis Bay from 1891 to 1903 and, as such, was the highest-ranking person here, and all local governance matters were thus entrusted to him. This position in today’s terms is equal to that of Governor of the Erongo Region.“Then there is the grave of Henry Simpson, who died at age 49 in 1903. He was the Chief Constable of Walvis Bay, a position similar to that of the current Regional Police Commander.”“The intention of my motion is foremost the preservation of our history and the preservation of what is still there of the remains of those who had gone long before us.”After much debate, a suggestion was made from among the councillors that the cemetery be turned into a heritage site to preserve the graves at the Mulderene Street Cemetery. This cemetery was established at a time when blacks and whites were segregated; at this deserted cemetery, this is still evident. Only two councillors were in support of the motion, with the rest not supporting it. The matter was referred to the management committee for further deliberation. – leandrea@erongo.com.na

Motion to Close Old Cemetery in Walvis Bay Sparks Debate

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Motion to Close Old Cemetery in Walvis Bay Sparks Debate

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