Limpopo investigates 'mass burial of 40 paupers' in Mookgophong cemetery

An investigation has been launched by the Limpopo health department after reports that about 40 unclaimed bodies were buried without coffins in mass graves at the Mookgophong cemetery.

The SABC reported that police are exhuming human remains allegedly buried secretly by a funeral parlour contracted by the department.

According to the reports, the remains were buried in two separate graves without caskets.

The allegations have raised concerns about the handling and dignity of unclaimed bodies in the province.

Health department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said deceased people declared paupers usually become the responsibility of the local municipality.

“First, the paupers were declared as such and were supposed to be buried by the municipality. However, because the municipality had its own struggles at that time we had to step in to find the service provider to conduct the burial because we were under pressure in our storage facility.” This was due to a backlog of unclaimed bodies,” he said.

“The report we received is everything was done according to the requirements and the law. But now I've received news that there is an allegation of a mass burial there or mass graves. It is something we're looking at and through the office of the head of department we have started an investigation.

“We will, after having finalised the investigation, be able to pronounce ourselves fully on the matter.”

The issue comes amid a national crisis involving unclaimed bodies in forensic pathology mortuaries.

According to regulations, families have up to 30 days to claim a body before it is considered unclaimed and handled according to state procedures.

In August 2024, parliament's portfolio committee on health said more than 3,000 unclaimed corpses were piling up in mortuaries in South Africa, some stored for as long as three years.

Limpopo had 315 unclaimed bodies at that time, marking an increase of 32 since March 2024.

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