A little light in the tunnel

Hartbeespoort Municipality was well organised, well managed and had a healthy budget in place for a growing infrastructure that would accommodate all the new developments that sprung up like giant mushrooms in and around Hartbeespoort. They cared for our roads, our reservoir, the dam, the refuse and waste lines. We had safe paved bicycle trails for our children to travel to schools and recreational activities.

Most of all they looked after our beloved Cemetery. There was always watering points, petrol operated weed-eaters and plenty garden tools. Gardeners were seen everywhere caring for all the entrances to our town, public gardens and Greenbelt areas. The gardeners was so proud of their work because they knew how important they were to the image and welfare of our town.

The Hartbeespoort Municipality was run by a team that knew how important the infrastructure and image of the “Monaco” of the North West Province of South Africa was. The influx of tourist’s brought revenue to their pockets that was nurtured and cherished by the Municipality.

To our horrification the well managed Hartbeespoort was sworn in with Madibeng Municipality. Within a few years our funds was looted and the little golden goose was left out in the cold to deteriorate. With no one left to realise that looking after the Golden Goose would actually benefit all people involved, even our beautiful picturesque cemetery was falling apart.

A little light in the tunnel came along in the form of two young entrepreneurs who was not afraid of hard work and community service. Kids in Action Cemetery Care was born in January 2021 when Marike (16) voiced her wish to clean up the cemetery to her family. She is an animal lover and a young humanitarian, a go-getter that would walk the extra mile to help others. She was detrimental in pushing the plan of action forward and introducing it to the community. She dreams of becoming a vet and her earnings will go toward purchasing a car when she leaves school. She has a 24 month savings plan and with this girls scientific and inquisitive mind she can become anything she sets her mind to.

Eugene (14) was deputy head boy at his primary school and is loved by all for his good heart and even temperament. He loves his music and plays the ukulele, drums and guitar. With his savings he would love to learn how to play the concertina, violin and pay for his gymnastic classes as most of the sports was cancelled by the schools during covid. He is a passionate sportsman.  

There are 804 graves in the cemetery of which KIACC only services about 10% of them. These kids are in need of Sponsors for the old unkept graves. If you would like to sponsor one or more graves per month or give one of your loved ones graves a makeover, please contact them on 0825705253 or join them for a meet and greet on 12 December at the cemetery.

We call on our community to support these kids in their quest to beautify a part of our town that is deserted and forgotten by the ones that we trusted with our hard earned tax money.