Limpopo Health probes mass burial of remains in two graves
Limpopo Health Department is investigating the mass burial of about 40 people in two paupers' graves in Mookgopong cemetery under the Waterberg District.
It is alleged that the remains, which the department declared paupers, were all buried in two graves without caskets in the Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality.
Department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana says the burial was conducted by a funeral parlour hired by the department because the municipality was facing some challenges.
"We had to step in to find a service provider to conduct the burial because we were under immense pressure in our storage facility.
"Because, imagine if you have got 40 unclaimed bodies in your mortuaries, the kind of effect that would have on your service delivery requirements?"
Forensic officials from the Health Department and police started exhuming the paupers’ remains from the graves on Monday.
Shikwambana says the department has just learned about the allegations that the burial was not done according to the paupers’ burial requirements and the law.
"Through the office of the HOD [head of department], we have actually started an investigation just to find out from the report that we already had and also the newly brought information about the graves in that particular area."
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