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The government has made an urgent call for families with missing loved ones to visit their nearest police stations as it battles with more than 3,000 unclaimed bodies in state mortuaries across the country.
Dr Sibogiseni Dhlomo of parliament's portfolio committee on health said there were 3,186 bodies in state mortuaries, with KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape having the highest numbers.
“As of August 2024, 3,186 bodies remain unclaimed nationwide, with KZN accounting for 1,527 cases while the Eastern Cape has 526 cases. Many bodies are unclaimed due to a lack of identity documents and because relatives have not come forward to identify or retrieve them,” said Dhlomo.
The committee recently received a briefing from the health department, which identified factors contributing to the issue.
“The factors include community-related issues, municipal challenges, delays in collecting DNA samples, insufficient burial sites and difficulties in identifying foreign nationals,” Dhlomo said.
Concerns were raised about the implications of unclaimed bodies for public health and safety. Some committee members emphasised the need for transparency regarding allegations of corruption in mortuaries, where families have reportedly been charged excessive fees to claim bodies.
