By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL funeral official is calling for better maintenance of public cemeteries in the country, noting cases where graves are being desecrated due to construction works and “witchcraft” among other things.

Head of the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association Kirsch Ferguson said the situation has left some grave sites in total ruin.

His comments came after The Tribune visited the Spikenard Graveyard off Cowpen Road over the weekend after receiving photographs of alleged desecrated graves.

While most grave sites appeared to be intact and in good condition there were a few open graves spotted. In one instance, a coffin was seen covered under a pile of rubble and other debris.

Ministry of Works officials with responsibility for public cemeteries could not be reached for comment yesterday despite numerous calls from this newspaper.

 Yesterday, Mr Ferguson said while he believes the upkeep of public cemeteries has improved over the years, more work can be done to better maintain the sites.

 “From an overall perspective, as you know, the management of the cemeteries are under the carriage of the Ministry of Public Works. I know in the past few years, there has been much revamping of their operation procedures where they’ve been more meticulous to maintain these cemeteries,” Mr Ferguson told The Tribune.

 “You can have a general understanding that these cemeteries are open to the general public. However, measures have been taken to keep the gates locked when the cemeteries are not in use.”

 In cases where graves are desecrated, Mr Ferguson said several factors are to blame.

 “One of the vandalisms that you see happening is persons going into the cemetery however means they can and doing what they wish to do,” he said. “Some of the graves that you would’ve noticed that appears to be open, those are graves that persons who, while attending funeral services, perhaps were standing on flabs and graves actually caved in or machinery coming to the cemetery to dig graves, they’ve been trampled upon that caused damage to other graves so that is perhaps what you see happening at the cemetery.

 “Second to that, we still have a large population in this country who still believe or practice witchcraft and some of their sites of practice are in public cemeteries so these are some of things that you would notice on a current basis. But by and large it’s just that the cemetery or the graves are being desecrated by persons who are walking on graves and/or carrying out services.”

 Asked for his recommendations on restoring public cemeteries, Mr Ferguson said consistent cleaning exercises are needed.

 “Obviously, we see that improvements can be made,” he added. “We are encouraged by the efforts being undertaken now with this new team of persons who have control of the cemeteries, but again a consistent cleaning of the cemeteries is a must and when I say consistent, I mean by not allowing them to become overgrown and tend to every six months or once a quarter. It has to be an ongoing thing because of the vast area these cemeteries cover.”