There are a total of 3,186 unclaimed bodies lying in government mortuaries across the whole country as of August 2024.
The bulk of these unclaimed bodies are in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
This information was revealed on Wednesday by the Department of Health to parliament. It presented this before parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health.
The department was briefing the committee on the unclaimed bodies in the state’s forensic pathology mortuaries.
KZN and Eastern Cape
According to the department, there are 1,527 unclaimed bodies in KwaZulu-Natal’s government mortuaries. The province has 23 mortuaries.
The department also revealed there are 526 unclaimed bodies in the Eastern Cape. The province has 17 mortuaries.
In other provinces, the Western Cape has 17 mortuaries and 299 unclaimed bodies. Limpopo, which has 12 mortuaries, has 315 unclaimed bodies. Gauteng has 176 unclaimed bodies from the 11 mortuaries it has.
North West has 166 unclaimed bodies from its seven mortuaries. The Northern Cape has 31 unclaimed bodies from its 11 mortuaries. Mpumalanga has 53 unclaimed bodies from the 21 mortuaries it has. The Free State has 93 unclaimed bodies from the 11 mortuaries it has.
Pauper’s burials
The department said unclaimed bodies have been stored at state mortuaries for a period ranging between five months and three years. The department said according to government law, a pauper’s burial is conducted after 30 days if a body remains unidentified and unclaimed.
An unidentifiable body is a deceased body that does not have identifiable features. These are such as human remains, charred remains, decomposed bodies. Not merely the absence of an identity document.
An unclaimed body is a body that family members have not come through to claim. Majority of the unclaimed bodies are also unidentified.
Factors that lead to unclaimed bodies are community issues, facility issues, and issues at the provincial and municipal levels.
Various reasons cited
Community issues are that bodies arrive without any form of identification. Family members do not come through to look for their relatives. And once identified, families do not come to claim the bodies.
The facility issues are that there are delays in transportation and analysis of DNA samples. Poor quality of collected fingerprints and outstanding Investigating Officer (IO). Also pauper statements, and outstanding toxicology results.
The issues at the provincial and municipal level are the delays with pauper burials. These are due to the non-availability of burial spaces and budgets. Also due to foreign nationals not identified.
DNA test delays in KZN
The main reasons for a high number of unclaimed bodies in KwaZulu-Natal are bodies awaiting DNA results (85% of the bodies). Bodies awaiting investigating officer pauper statements (included in the 85%). And bodies awaiting pauper burials (10% of bodies awaiting DNA results), said the department.
It has made interventions to deal with the unclaimed bodies in KwaZulu-Natal.
DNA sample results are being expedited by the SAPS. This through the National Forensic Pathology Service Committee (NFPSC) platform. Improving communication with SAPS regarding the issuing of pauper statements. And continuous training of forensic pathology officers on fingerprint taking, among others.
Measures being taken to address the backlog
The main reasons for a high number of unclaimed bodies in the Eastern Cape are delays in pauper burials. Burial space and budgets, delays in the collection of samples from facilities to SAPS. Also outstanding toxicology results, it said.
The department said it has made interventions to deal with the unclaimed bodies in the Eastern Cape.
It said there is a management of the DNA backlog with the intervention of the NFPSC. Improved engagements with the National Health Laboratory Services. This is order to get outstanding laboratory results. Continuous training on fingerprint collection, and reviewing the memorandum of understanding between SAPS and NFPS. This in order to include expectations on unclaimed body processing.
FIRA ( Funeral Industry Reformed Association ) has been advocating for chance since 2001, its 23 years later and nothing is done, ito monitoring, evaluation, implementation, adjustment of law(s) and solutions offered
FIRA has played a leading role towards the establishment of a funeral industry regulator, ombudsman and has engaged the Law Reform Commission since 2017.