‘Tomb raider’ caught out in Cape cemetery

TALI FEINBERG

“I borrowed the base from an old grave. I was called out and severely sanctioned,” says the stonemason. The SA Jewish Report knows his identity, and agreed to protect it in exchange for full disclosure.

Although the stonemason has only once been brought to book over this, he admitted that there have been a number of similar instances in the past.

He claims that he “recycles” tombstones, and this is standard practice in the industry. He says he has always rectified it.

“We do recycle granite on graves we are working on. Often when we get a request for an identical stone, the old stone is totally removed. We then replace it with matching granite. The old granite is then re-polished and re-used.”

A well-respected Cape Town communal leader with comprehensive knowledge of the cemetery says this has been done by this stonemason dozens of times – “possibly up to 100 times” – over the past 10 to 15 years.

The communal leader said he had previously allowed the stonemason to get away with warnings because of personal circumstances, but he now wants him brought to book.

Surprisingly, there are no clear bylaws regarding tampering with gravestones in a cemetery. According to the bylaws, “The council is not liable for any loss or damage to any object on a grave unless such loss or damage is the result of the negligence of any employee of the council.”

However, no person may remove memorial work (the headstone, plaque, or slab) for additional inscriptions or other alterations without the consent of the officer-in-charge (a person authorised by the council in charge of the cemetery).

Only a holder of private rights (the family of the buried person), or a person authorised in writing by the holder of such rights, may, with the written permission of the officer-in-charge, dismantle, alter, or disturb, any memorial work on a grave.

The stonemason was caught out and hauled over the coals at the beginning of June 2019 after a cemetery worker noticed that the surname of the deceased was engraved into the base of the stone, but this “v-cut” method of writing on granite or marble has not been done on gravestones since the year 2000. All gravestones are now sandblasted. It showed that it was taken from an old grave belonging to a couple with the same surname.

The SA Jewish Report has seen photographs of the graves that were disturbed for this base to be “borrowed”. The desecrated headstones were lying haphazardly on the ground alongside broken concrete. They were fixed only after the stonemason was caught out.

The graves belong to Liba and Isaac Shapiro, who died in 1985 and 1996 respectively. The base with their surname, “Shapiro” was used on a new pair of graves, for Lionel and Freda Shapiro, who both died in 2018.

A relative of the latter Shapiro couple says that when she was told that a part of the gravestone was stolen property, she said, “I felt stick to my stomach. It was traumatic. I’m just glad this has all come out now, and it won’t happen to anyone else.”

Labour lawyer and parliamentarian Michael Bagraim is a family member of the latter Shapiro couple, and is therefore aware of the case. He says “there is clear proof that a contractor has been stealing stones for many years. This issue is rife in the cemetery, and I don’t believe the Cemeteries Maintenance Board (CMB) is doing enough.

“It has washed its hands of it by passing the decision [of who is allowed at the cemetery] onto the city council. As the custodian of the cemetery, it should tell the community that this is happening. Meanwhile, the stonemason undercuts the prices of his competitors because he is using stolen goods.”

The SA Jewish Report has seen a number of other graves in the Pinelands Cemetery that are missing bases, slabs, and headstones. In one case, a grave slab is missing, and a headstone is lying next to a grave. Sources say it has been lying there for many months. This grave is close to the ohel (funeral hall), main path, and offices, and in clear view of authorities.

A source with intimate knowledge of the cemetery, and no vested interest in the case, says he saw this stonemason removing parts of graves. He reported it, and says the stonemason was only given warnings. “He’s done it many times, and always thinks he’s going to survive. We’ve all been desperate at times in our lives, but we don’t steal. The cemetery is a religious place. If you can’t respect the dead, how can you respect the living?” he asks.

Another source familiar with the cemetery, speaking on condition of anonymity, says that the use of old stones for new graves has been going on for years. The SA Jewish Report has seen a number of emails with complaints about it. This source says the stonemason sees that certain graves have not been visited because they don’t have visitors’ pebbles on them, and uses the gravestones for new work.

The stonemason in question told the SA Jewish Report that in the Shapiro case, he had “already secured a new base from a wholesaler, and it was not available. I was under pressure from [a businessman] who had subcontracted installation to me, and I knew I would not be able to secure the new base in a short period of time.”

When questioned about the other missing grave slabs, headstones, and bases, the stonemason said “I do admit to taking a long time to repair stones that have either fallen or cracked, or have subsided, and need to be repaired. It might give the impression that stones are vandalised, but the CMB has requested that, while I am working on these graves, I remove the granite so that it isn’t unsightly. About five or six of these graves are still being worked on.”

CMB Director Eric Berger acknowledged that a slab had been moved by a stonemason “to be replaced at a later stage”.

Berger says the cemetery is on city council land, and the council issues relevant permits to stonemasons. “Appropriate action has been taken by the council, which will be enforced by the CMB,” he says. He has communicated with city officials, who will be releasing new regulations regarding the issuing of permits to stonemasons.

Cape Beth Din Dayan Rabbi Ruben Suiza says “a complaint was brought to our attention this week. This very serious matter is presently under investigation.”

Says Stuart Diamond, the director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, “The Cape board is aware of the dispute involving the ‘recycling’ of tombstones at Pinelands Jewish Cemetery by a specific stonemason. We understand that the Union of Orthodox Synagogues is liaising between the affected parties, and have full trust that it will handle the situation appropriately.

“Without knowledge of the finer details of the case, the Cape board would still record its disapproval of any behaviour or business practice that is conducted in bad faith or in a dishonourable manner.”