Namibia’s officials have urged people not to throw parties in cemeteries after a social gathering at a gravesite in the capital, Windhoek, sparked backlash last weekend.
According to City of Windhoek officials, the celebration at Gammams Cemetery “showed seating arrangements, cooler boxes, and alcohol” in full view.
One Windhoek citizen who witnessed the party described it as “nothing short of disgraceful.”
In a Facebook post, she described the scene that met mourners entering the gravesite, saying, “From the entrance all the way inside, car boots were open, people were drinking, and the cemetery resembled a shebeen rather than a place of rest.”
She also claimed that the cemetery had been left in a pitiable state, with bottles and cans littering the grounds.
The City of Windhoek published a statement on Thursday calling this “unacceptable,” adding that it “disrespects the dignity of the deceased [and] disturbs other grieving families.”
Namibia government also warned residents that leaving rubbish or waste at the cemetery was a criminal offense and promised “strict monitoring and enforcement” to protect burial sites.
“Cemeteries are sacred spaces reserved only for burials and remembrance of the deceased,” it said.
“Social gatherings, alcohol consumption, and littering within cemetery grounds are strictly prohibited.”
Gammams has made headlines before. In 2021, a man was caught when a video surfaced showing him shooting rounds at a funeral.
During the same funeral, automobiles were spun in a parking lot near the burial site, according to local news website The Namibian.
