Central SA
More than 30 bodies remain unclaimed at Brits mortuary─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 11:34 Thu, 05 Sep 2024
“The 38 unclaimed bodies at the Brits Forensic Pathology Mortuary are mostly male and were discovered in various locations around Brits between 2021 and 2024.”
More than three dozen bodies remain unclaimed at the Brits Forensic Pathology Mortuary in North West.
A total of 38 unknown bodies are still unaccounted for at the mortuary on the premises of the Brits police station, said provincial police spokesperson Amanda Funani. The rising number of unclaimed bodies in government mortuaries has been a concerning trend.
‘Over 2,000 bodies remain unclaimed in government mortuaries’
Earlier this year, then Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, responding to a parliamentary question from DA MP Madeleine Hicklin, revealed that over 2,000 bodies remain unclaimed in government mortuaries nationwide.
The highest number of unclaimed bodies was reported in KwaZulu-Natal (more than 1,300), followed by Limpopo (283), North West (266), Mpumalanga (82), the Free State (82), and the Northern Cape (51).
The unclaimed bodies at the Brits Forensic Pathology Mortuary are mostly male and were discovered in various locations around the town between 2021 and 2024, said Funani. The bodies were found at, among others, Rabokala Village, Klipgat River, Letlhabile, Mamogaleskraal, Bila Mine Elandskraal, Damonsville, Cyferskuil, and Marikana.
The policy on unclaimed bodies mandates that they must be moved to a freezer within seven days of admission, Phaahla said at the time. “If a body remains unidentified for 30 days, the (local) municipal council … must ensure a pauper burial is conducted.”
Pauper burial. Photo: Screenshot
Meanwhile, Funani called on the public for assistance in identifying the unknown bodies. Anyone who may have information that could help in the identification of these bodies is urged to contact the police.
