Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Nkosiphendule Kholisile must prioritise legislation and accompanying regulation on the undertaking industry in the province, the DA says.
“This was again highlighted this morning as a shocking report in the Sowetan revealed the sale of lists of corpses at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to illegal funeral operators.
“Both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD) must investigate these unsavoury practices as a matter of urgency and bring the perpetrators to book.
“Similarly, the authorities at Chris Hani Baragwanath and other hospitals across the province must ensure that proper procedures are in place to prevent the occurrence of this practice in the future.
“Secondly: the hospital authorities must install proper procedures to prevent such occurrences in future.”
“Above all, the MEC must finalise the long overdue draft legislation on the Undertaking Industry and present this to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature as soon as possible.
“The continued absence of proper legislation and regulation of this industry allows illegal operators without proper facilities to trample on the dignity and respect of deceased inhabitants of the province.”
Les Labuschagne, MPL, DA Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, said this in a statement today in reaction to the Sowetan article.
In its reaction, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA in Gauteng said it “notes with utter disgust and dismay the selling of dead bodies for R150 at Bara as reported in today’s Sowetan”.
“We are deeply disturbed by this malicious practice, as DENOSA we believe that total respect should be given to the dead as they have suffered enough and we believe they should be allowed to rest in peace.
“We view this illegal practice as vindictive to the families of the deceased who are already in bereavement.
“We call on Bara management to act decisively and urgently in dealing with the matter. We call for a proper investigation to expose those responsible and ultimately hold them accountable, we also call on the families affected to come forward and assist the management in exposing these corrupt elements.”