By OBAKENG MAJE
15 January 2025- The North West Department of Health has refuted allegations that the provincial Forensic Pathology Services facilities are unable to cope with the increasing number of illegal miners’ corpses extracted underground in Stilfontein in the ongoing national rescue operation.
The department said its plan of readiness has been approved and shared by the North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari during his briefing session yesterday at Stilfontein.
Lehari spokesperson, Lucas Mothibedi said the department has identified several forensic pathology services facilities to deal with the expected, sizable number of corpses as the operation is ongoing. Mothibedi said as of this morning, 51 bodies have been retrieved underground in the last three days of the rescue operation.
“All corpses have been handed over to the department’s forensic facilities. We have also beefed up our medical personnel by contracting more nurses, radiographers, doctors and other medical personnel.
“The department is also assisting with identification processes through DNA and other medical means, including post mortems to determine whether these deaths were as a result of hunger, illness or injuries,” he said.
Mothibedi further said the department cautions members of the public and media against disinformation and misinformation peddled by some groups at Stilfontein, aimed at discrediting all efforts and strides made by the department so far. He added that 36 bodies were retrieved on 13 Jan 2025, while 51 were extracted on 14 Jan 2025.
“Total bodies retrieved by yesterday were 87. We have 70 space at Forensic Pathology Services facility in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District and 240 in Bojanala District. So, there is enough space in the province to store the bodies for now.
“On the issue of Gauteng Forensic vans, the province has 20 vehicles that can carry 4 bodies each. Due to the high number of bodies in a short space, Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services has been asked to assist with vehicles to deliver the deceased to North West Forensic Pathology Services mortuaries. All bodies remain in the North West,” said Mothibedi.
The Guardian 