Authorities have worked tirelessly to manage the aftermath of the Stilfontein illegal mining tragedy, where 78 bodies were recently recovered from disused mine shafts.

The North West Health MEC, Sello Lehari, and senior management are expected to hold a media briefing on Wednesday to provide updates on the completion of autopsies conducted on the bodies of zama zamas.

The Phokeng Forensic Mortuary, which serves the Rustenburg, Kgetleng, and Moses Kotane Municipalities, has undergone substantial upgrades. The facility’s storage capacity has nearly doubled, from 54 to 104 units, making it one of the largest mortuaries in the province. 

Workers at the Phokeng Forensic Mortuary in Rustenburg in the North West area had in 2023 called on the provincial health department to re-open the facility following its closure two years ago due to infrastructure challenges. They had claimed that the private undertaker facility they were relocated to doesn’t have resources and lacks the required specifications of a mortuary.

Phokeng Forensic Mortuary was forced to close down in 2021 due to its bad state. Photo: Screenshot

Forensic pathologists from the department have been working around the clock to complete this work that will ultimately help to verify and identify the bodies, said health spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi. “The Department will work closely with SAPS and other organs of state.”

Lehari will formally open and hand over the facility during the briefing.

Meanwhile, the police have called on the families of the 78 deceased to help identify them. They may visit the Stilfontein police station on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 08:00 to 15:00 to meet the investigation team.

 OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg