The Gauteng Department of Health says there are 938 unclaimed bodies across 11 Forensic Pathology Service mortuaries in the province.
Families who have missing relatives relating are urged to visit these mortuaries to check if their loved ones are not among the unclaimed bodies.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba says the MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is concerned about the increase in the number of unclaimed bodies at the morgues and that there are many families who have missing relatives not knowing where they are when in fact they could be in mortuary.
“There are families who have been looking for their loved ones not knowing where they are. We encourage them to visit the mortuaries to check so that if it’s the case, they can give their loved ones a proper burial” he said, quoting the MEC.
Modiba said once a body is not identified or claimed within seven days, fingerprints are sent to the SAPS Criminal Record Centre for identification and to the Department of Home Affair for matching records. Teen the next of kin is informed.
“However, If the body is still unidentified after 30 days the law allows the government to give the deceased a pauper’s burial because bodies cannot be kept indefinitely at the mortuaries,” he added.
Mortuaries with unclaimed bodies include Bronkhorstspruit, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, Germiston, Heidelberg, Sebokeng, Springs, Carletonville, Diepkloof, Johannesburg and Roodepoort.
Those who wish to go and make identification must have their original identity document, theID of the deceased or birth certificate if the deceased is a child, a passport if it is a foreign national or asylum seeker certificate/letter from country of origin that confirms who the deceased is and to whom the remains should be handed over to.
The department has further urged communities to update their home addresses with the Department of Home Affairs if they relocate.
