Delays in collecting DNA samples, insufficient burial sites and difficulties in identifying foreign nationals have been described as among factors contributing to the more than 3,000 bodies that lie unclaimed in SA’s state mortuaries.
Of the 3,168 bodies — the number was more than 4,000 in 2023 — the country’s largest provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape accounted for 1,527 and 526, respectively.
A body is deemed unclaimed if no-one comes forward to identify it within seven days of death. The figures were provided by the health ministry to parliament’s portfolio committee on health.
Committee media officer Yoliswa Landu said that with many of the unclaimed bodies identity documents were not the issue, but rather “relatives have not come forward to identify or retrieve them”.
“The department told the committee that it identified various factors contributing to the high number of unclaimed bodies. According to the department, these factors included community-related factors and municipal- and provincial-related challenges. Other factors that the department highlighted included delays in collecting DNA samples, insufficient burial sites and difficulties in identifying foreign nationals,” Landu said.
MPs had sounded the alarm over the rising number of unclaimed bodies. They cited an increased risk of health hazards and potential breach of government regulations that required that a person was buried within 30 days of death.
The portfolio committee called for transparency on investigations into alleged corruption in morgues where families were reportedly charged “excessive fees to claim bodies”.
“Some committee members expressed apprehension about the lack of follow-up on identified bodies and suggested establishing a tracking system for families of missing persons to facilitate communication and retrieval of remains. Others called for better co-ordination among local municipalities to address burial site shortages and recommended that private mortuaries share best practices for managing unclaimed bodies,” Landu said.
The health department told the committee it had started efforts to establish a task team to ensure accountability and transparency in managing unclaimed bodies. The department was also engaging local and provincial governments to develop a “comprehensive plan to address the shortage of burial sites, including exploring partnerships with private cemeteries and considering alternative burial methods”.
Eastern Cape health MEC Ntandokazi Capa’s spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase, said: “We can confirm that there are 546 unclaimed and unidentified bodies at our mortuaries across the province. OR Tambo District accounts for most of the bodies at 163 followed by Nelson Mandela Bay with 109 unidentified and unclaimed bodies.
“Sarah Baartman [district municipality] has the least with seven unidentified and unclaimed bodies. The bodies are brought to our forensic pathology services facilities by the SAPS [SA Police Service] for autopsies and investigations.”
Ndamase said it was the responsibility of the police to investigate and trace the families of unclaimed and unidentified bodies. “SAPS also gives permission to proceed with pauper burials by municipalities. It is important to note that the department stores the bodies with the SAPS and municipalities doing their parts — investigating and burying the bodies,” he said.
“Government remains committed to working with communities to identify these unclaimed bodies and putting loved ones to rest with dignity.”
DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said the provincial government had been promising to establish an internet identification website for unclaimed bodies since 2006. The website would assist families to identify and claim the bodies of their loved ones as it would be traumatic to physically visit all the 11 mortuaries in Gauteng to identify and claim a body.
There were about 1,000 unclaimed bodies in Gauteng and the number seemed to have stabilised over the years, Bloom said. “A lot of unclaimed bodies are not from Gauteng nor SA. It’s about time the government actually sorts this out because an internet identification website is the way to do it,” he said.
ATM national spokesperson Zama Ntshona said unclaimed bodies not only represented a humanitarian crisis but also “a public health concern” that required urgent action.
He called for the implementation of advanced identification methods including biometric scanning, a centralised database consolidation of information on unidentified bodies and missing persons and collaboration between state and private mortuaries.
“This collaboration can lead to innovative solutions for burial site shortages and improved handling of remains,” Ntshona said. “The ATM calls upon the department of health and all relevant stakeholders to act swiftly and decisively to implement these recommendations.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.