Over 2,000 Unclaimed Bodies in SA Morgues Due to Lack of Identification

• The Health Department said lack of identification is one of the major contributors to the over 2,000 unclaimed bodies in the country's morgues
• Minister Joe Phaahla revealed, while answering a parliamentary question, that a majority of the unclaimed bodies lie in KwaZulu-Natal
• Netizens suspected that a majority of the unclaimed and unidentifiable bodies could be foreign nationals

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

The absence of identification documents on deceased's people when they arrive at the morgue is one of the major contributors to the over 2,000 unclaimed bodies lying unclaimed in the country.

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More than 2,000 unclaimed bodies in SA

While answering a parliamentary question, Health Minister Joe Phaahla revealed that most unclaimed bodies are in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Health Department’s Dr Relebohile Ncha told SAFM that bodies could stay unclaimed at the morgue for seven days to a year.

According to ECR Newswatch, the identification process, which involves the police, also contributes to the lengthy period before a pauper's burial can be declared and organised.

Citizens speculate on nationality of unclaimed bodies

Many netizens believe that most of the unclaimed bodies are foreign nationals.

@dsephelle believes the bodies are not South African:

“It's obvious those are illegal immigrants.”

@Boy82Big2 feels a similar way:

“There problem is we have too many unknown and untraceable people in South Africa.”

@sme_mag23661 drew the government into the discussion:

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“How about using those one million graves that @MYANC dug during COVID?”

@Boontjies11 has a simple solution:

“Bury them.”

Mpumalanga domestic worker found in mortuary after dying at work

Briefly News previously reported that a Mpumalanga family had been desperately searching for a domestic worker relative they thought was missing.

What they didn’t know was that Tryphinah Mngomezulu was lying in a morgue dead, allegedly mauled by her boss’ dogs. Mngomezulu's son said that, on the day of the alleged incident, he tried contacting his mom, but she did not answer her phone.

Source: Briefly News