INTERPOL has asked South African forensics experts to join international efforts to identify the 298 victims of the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine last week.
Police commissioner Riah Phiyega approved a request from the international police organisation on Thursday for a South African team to be deployed to the Netherlands to help with the grim task of carrying out DNA analysis to identify the victims - including South African Cameron Dalziel.
Dalziel's grieving brother, Campbell, confirmed on Friday that forensics experts had taken DNA samples from their parents and had collected Cameron's dental records.
The first batch of remains of those who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine while it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday.
National police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said South Africa had the expertise and experience to help with the identification process.
"We believe it's crucial that we lend a hand," he said.
Interpol's executive director of police services, Jean-Michael Louboutin, said that, following the offer by the Netherlands to provide secure and equipped facilities for the identification of the bodies, countries such as South Africa, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany and others had been asked to support the Interpol teams in Ukraine and the Netherlands.
"Member countries which lost nationals on flight MH17 have been requested to gather ante-mortem data for the victims, which will be collated by the crisis cell established in Interpol's 24-hour command and co-ordination centre," he said.
Dr David Foran, director of the forensic biology laboratory at the University of Michigan in the US, told the Guardian newspaper that the key to positive DNA identification was selecting tissue that had the least amount of DNA degradation. In the absence of tissue - as might be the case because most of the bodies were burned - investigators would use skeletal tissue or dental records.
Campbell Dalziel said Cameron' s widow, Reine, was still too distraught to talk about the tragedy.
The couple had been living with their two sons in Miri, Malaysia, since December. Cameron, 43, worked as pilot for a Canadian helicopter company. He had been training in the Netherlands and was returning home when the aircraft crashed.
"Right now, it's a difficult time for her. She is trying to normalise. She is still trying to deal with a lot of red tape in terms of getting everything in order, especially when there is no death certificate," he said.
Reine was also trying her level best to make their sons, Sheldon, 14, and Cruz, 4, as comfortable as possible, he said. "She is trying to get some normality with the boys. You can imagine the pain they must be going through," he said.
A spokesman for the Department of International Relations, Nelson Kgwete, said the identification of Cameron Dalziel's remains could take a while to complete. "The South African authorities are awaiting further guidance regarding the way forward as the remains of the deceased are being transported to the Netherlands for the identification process," he said.
The department would assist with the return of his remains once they had been identified.
Kgwete said that until then the department would keep the family informed of developments.
A memorial service will be held at Durban's Virginia Airport on Thursday and a private church service will take place at a later date.
Friends of Cameron - who was a keen surfer - plan to paddle out to sea in tribute to him.
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