Post falsely claims 23 bodies were stolen from a South African mortuary over holidays

South Africa’s mortuaries are in disaster, with greater than 3,000 unclaimed our bodies throughout the nation as of August 2024, in accordance with well being authorities. A submit not too long ago shared on Fb claimed that 23 our bodies have been stolen from a mortuary in Barberton within the nation’s northeast at Christmas. That is false; the picture of an overcrowded mortuary used within the submit was taken at a unique facility in 2022. Native police additionally denied the claims.

“23 Useless our bodies stolen In Barberton Mortuary (sic),” reads the start of a Fb submit printed on December 29, 2024.

In accordance with the submit, which has been shared greater than 2,000 occasions, the corpses disappeared with a pair of Nike Air Power 1 sneakers from a mortuary in Barberton over Christmas.

Mortuary workers “found” the purported theft after the vacation break, with CCTV footage supposedly exhibiting the our bodies being carried away in two Toyota Quantum minibuses, in accordance with the declare.

Barberton is a city within the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.

The submit consists of a picture taken inside a mortuary exhibiting physique baggage stacked on cabinets and a number of other extra on the ground.

Mortuary disaster

In accordance with South African well being officers, there have been greater than 3,000 unclaimed our bodies in state mortuaries throughout the nation as of August 2024 (archived right here).

The issue was ascribed to numerous elements, together with inadequate burial websites, difficulties in figuring out overseas nationals and delays in amassing DNA samples.

The parliamentary well being committee expressed concern with the statistics and the implications of unclaimed our bodies for public well being and the protection of mortuary personnel.

In February 2023, the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) investigated an remoted case of a desecrated grave and stolen corpse in Limpopo province (archived right here).

Nevertheless, the declare about our bodies being stolen at a Barberton mortuary is fake.

Unrelated picture

To seek out the origin of the picture used within the declare, AFP Truth Verify carried out reverse picture searches that led to a 2022 information report the place it was featured.

South African information publication TimesLIVE printed the picture on July 27, 2022, reporting that it confirmed our bodies mendacity on the ground on the overcrowded Phoenix forensic mortuary in Durban (archived right here).

The Nationwide Schooling, Well being and Allied Staff’ Union (Nehawu) in KwaZulu-Natal had on the time raised a number of considerations in regards to the mortuary’s situation.

These included a scarcity of correct private protecting gear for workers, no chemical compounds to disinfect the ability and management the odour, out-of-order fly-catchers and blocked drains within the post-mortem room (archived right here).

No stolen our bodies

Police in Mpumalanga dismissed the claims of stolen our bodies in an announcement issued on December 31, 2024 (archived right here).

“There was rumours circulating about 23 useless our bodies stolen at a mortuary in Barberton. The Workplace of the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga want to categorically state that these claims are false and haven’t any foundation in actuality. There aren’t any stories or incidents of our bodies being stolen from any mortuary in Barberton or anyplace else within the province.”

Mpumalanga’s appearing provincial police commissioner Main Common Zeph Mkhwanazi cautioned the general public towards sharing unverified data on social media.

“Spreading false data can result in pointless panic and worry in the neighborhood. We urge the general public to report any suspicious exercise or crimes to the SAPS in order that we will examine and take applicable motion.”