Alarms to curb grave thefts

Desperate to keep corrupt stonemasons from stealing from the dead, Johannesburg City Parks will allow alarms to be installed in tombstones.

Two weeks ago, the city announced that it would increase security patrols in some cemeteries, particularly the Avalon graveyard after a number of stonemasons were criminally charged and two service providers were blacklisted for allegedly stealing tombstones.

Alan Buff, who oversees the city's cemeteries, yesterday said at least 20 tombstones have been stolen from the Avalon and West Park cemeteries in the past few weeks.

"Two weeks ago we met a company which installs a device to keep tabs on tombstones. While the city will not be directly involved as it will be an agreement between the families responsible for the graves and the company, it is a step towards curbing the rampant theft of tombstones," he said.

According to bylaws, tombstones are private property and the responsibility of the families of the dead.

Memorial Alert has been patented in South Africa and the UK as the world's first tombstone security technology.

Director Mark Pringle said an alarm would go off and the family responsible for the grave would be alerted via SMS when a tombstone, headstone, statue or vase is moved or even bumped. The signal would be sent from a transmitter implanted in the granite tombstone.

"We have entered into a service level agreement with Johannesburg City Parks. We plan to launch and market the product soon and are hoping to start installing transmitters in the Avalon and West Park cemeteries by January," he said.

"We are in talks with other municipalities and are hoping to start working in Durban next year," he said.

eThekwini Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit Head, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, said there had been a reduction in tombstone thefts in Durban after the city prohibited tombstones due to the lack of burial space in its cemeteries.

Bataung Memorial Tombstones CEO, Lebohang Khitsane, who created a digital aid to help families locate graves, said yesterday he was also devising a microchip system for tombstones.

"It is not just about the money. Families are devastated because it is like their loved one's memory has been tarnished," he said.