MOURNERS gathered to say their final goodbyes at a graveside on Sunday when the sounds of a shovel grabbed their attention.

To their horror, they saw a young man digging up a nearby grave, all by himself . . . As some gasped in fear, he pulled the coffin out – but then continued digging, until he stopped and shoved the coffin back inside! Security guards at the Redhill Cemetery in Durban were alerted and the man was told to stop. Thembinkosi Ngcobo of eThekwini Municipality told Daily Sun that upon questioning the man, he claimed he was checking if his mum – who was buried last Saturday – was still in a good condition. “He also said he was deepening the hole, making it ready for another family member to be buried on top in case a second person dies,” said Ngcobo. Witnesses Nomthandazo Sibeko (37) said she was at the burial of a friend when the drama unfolded. She said she immediately thought there was something wrong with the young man’s mind. “I have never seen anything like that,” said Nomthandazo. According to the municipality’s record, the grave belonged to a family from Yellowwood Park. A family member confirmed that he had sent his brother to check on the grave. “We buried our mother last Saturday so we sent our brother to check if the concrete had dried. “He was not doing anything dodgy,” claimed the family member. Ngcobo said what the man did was against the graveyard by-laws. “No one is allowed to touch the graves without our supervision,” said Ngcobo. The man was released on a warning.