THE state of the Le Repentir Cemetery continues to be bemoaned by residents as well as those in the political arena, putting Mayor Hamilton Green in the spotlight over the failures of City Hall that have led to the cemetery’s current state of dilapidation.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, recently slammed the Mayor on this matter. He said the cemetery has degenerated into a “mini jungle”. Rohee said: “Every time I pass by the Le Repentir Cemetery, I feel very, very upset, disappointed, and hurt as a person who grew up in Georgetown…to see the extent to which the Le Repentir Cemetery has degenerated into a mini-jungle; and people are taking this thing as acceptable and granted!

“It is almost impossible to know that so many thousands of people live in this city and they pass by that place every single day and nobody has anything whatsoever to say about it,” Rohee declared.

He made it clear that, compared to its present condition, the state of the cemetery in years gone by constitute nothing less than a “glaring indictment” on the City Council.

The PPP General Secretary said: “We do not have a cemetery…it seems as though the current generation in our country has grown to accept the cemetery for what it is.
“They don’t know anything better. They’ve never seen the cemetery what it was before.”

Rohee noted that the issue at hand must be addressed. He said: “It is no secret that the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, has been spearheading the attacks to discredit and disqualify the newly appointed Town Clerk, citing that she is unqualified to hold that position; all this while the City of Georgetown has been transformed from the ‘Garden City of the Caribbean’ to the ‘Garbage City’, under his stewardship…. So much for ‘qualification’.”

Several residents who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle contend that Le Repentir Cemetery is now a dumping area for garbage, a sanctuary for overgrown grass and trees, and a breeding ground for reptiles; all of which constitute an eyesore that prevents loved ones from having a decent and respectful burial.

The Le Repentir Cemetery is one of the main burial sites in Georgetown.
Written By Vanessa Narine