1117 unidentified bodies in Gauteng mortuaries

29 September 2019

1117 out of 17940 bodies in Gauteng’s 10 forensic pathology mortuaries were unidentified in the last financial year which ran from April 2018 to March 2019.

This information has been revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

An additional 18 bodies were identified but not claimed by family.

This is a vast human tragedy that deserves higher attention.

The largest number of unidentified bodies was at the Johannesburg mortuary (360), followed by Germiston (115), Roodepoort (107), Diepkloof (106) and Springs (105).

Unidentified bodies were as follows at other mortuaries:

Most of the deaths are due to crime and road accidents. It is tragic that many families do not know the fate of their loved ones because they have been buried anonymously after suffering a violent death.

Some of the 9 Life Esidimeni patients who are still missing may have suffered this fate.

I have been asking questions on unidentified bodies for many years and the number has risen alarmingly, with a poor response by the Department, which has been struggling since 2006 to develop an internet system that will assist in people identifying bodies.

Former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu promised that this internet site would be running in 2016.

Masuku’s response is that ‘the functionality of the internet site will be possible once the mortuary information system is set, which is anticipated for the end of October 2019.’ The internet site ‘is contemplated to be operational at the beginning of 2020/21 financial year.’

I hope that this promise is kept so that bodies can be identified on the internet, rather than relatives going to each mortuary, which is traumatic and time-consuming.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 29 September 2019