a) Policy of Unclaimed Bodies
Regulation 341 of 2005: Regulations Regarding the Rendering of Forensic Pathology Service, sections 43 and 44 of the make provision that:
43. A body not identified must be moved to a freezer within seven days of admission, and if such body remains unidentified for 30 days, the municipal council under whose jurisdiction the designated facility is, must ensure that a pauper burial for such body is undertaken.
44. The person in charge of a facility where there is an unidentified body must ensure that complete details of such body, including a photograph, fingerprints, and blood or tissue sample, are taken from the body and archived.
b) Table 1: Total number of unclaimed bodies per Province as of 15 March 2024
Province |
Number of unclaimed bodies |
Free State |
73 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
1336 |
Limpopo |
283 |
Mpumalanga |
82 |
Northen Cape |
51 |
Northwest |
266 |
Western Cape |
|
Eastern Cape |
|
Gauteng |
|
Total |
2091 |
END.