Forty decomposing bodies have been found in an Umlazi mortuary in KwaZulu-Natal, some of which had been there since 1991, police said on Wednesday.
”The local community complained about an unbearable smell, and we went to investigate,” said Captain Vincent Mdunge.
”Police found 40 badly decomposed bodies, some of which have been in the privately owned mortuary since 1991,” he said. ”There was no electricity supply.”
Mdunge said the bodies were almost impossible to identify because ”there is hardly any flesh left”.
”You can hardly make out the facial appearance and the sex is a nightmare to identify. Some have been there for 14 years. It’s unbelievable; an unbearable situation.”
Mdunge said Mhayise Funeral Services in Umlazi ran into trouble when the Durban Corporation cut the electricity supply in March this year.
”The outstanding bill was between R26 000 and R29 000,” he said.
The owner of the mortuary, Siphiwe Benedictus Hlatshwayo, died on February 26 this year, and the business was taken over by his daughter, Ellen Hlatshwayo (45).
”She did not have the skill to manage the business, and could not afford the bill for freezing,” Mdunge said.
The bodies were taken to a government mortuary where post mortems would be done.
Police were questioning Hlatshwayo to establish whether she or anyone else was connected to any criminal activities regarding the bodies. The Umlazi police had unsolved cases which might be linked to the bodies.
”People have been reported missing, and we have cases that remain unsolved, and which relate to issues of kidnapping,” Mdunge said.
Hlatshwayo did not comply with the legislative framework that related to the storing of dead bodies.
”There are no records whatsoever. The post-mortems will throw light on the causes of death and determine our further action,” Mdunge said. – Sapa