South Africa’s parliamentary portfolio committee on health has said the country’s mortuaries were holding 3,186 unclaimed and unidentified bodies as of August 2024.

KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape regions to the southeast had the highest numbers at 1,527 and 526 bodies, respectively, IOL wrote on September 25, quoting the committee chairperson, Sibongiseni Dhlomo.

The Department of Health told the committee that various factors have led to the large number of unclaimed bodies, including unspecified community-related issues, delays in collecting DNA samples, lack of burial sites, and difficulties in identifying foreign nationals.

The committee raised the alarm over public health implications that could arise due to unclaimed bodies piling up in the country’s public morgues and urged private facilities to share “best practices for managing unclaimed bodies,” according to Dhlomo.

In response, health officials committed to establishing a team to ensure accountability and transparency in managing the bodies amid allegations that some mortuary attendants are demanding kickbacks from relatives intending to claim the bodies of their departed loved ones.

“The department is engaging with provincial governments and municipalities to develop a comprehensive plan to address the shortage of burial sites, including exploring partnerships with private cemeteries and considering alternative burial methods,” he added, as quoted by IOL.