Zimbabwe miners to get paupers' burial in SA

The North West health department is awaiting essential documentation, including death certificates, to proceed with the burial of 23 bodies of illegal miners recently recovered from abandoned shafts in Stilfontein.

Department spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi confirmed that the burials are expected to take place by the end of June once all necessary paperwork from the Department of Home Affairs has been finalized.

"We have 23 bodies awaiting documentation from Home Affairs, and once received, they will be buried," Mothibedi said. "We expect to receive the documentation in the coming weeks, with mass funerals planned for month-end."

Since the recovery of 78 bodies earlier this year, authorities have successfully identified and handed over 25 remains to their families through DNA matching. The deceased hail from Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Mozambique.

This week, 30 unidentified bodies were buried in Kanana and Stilfontein after all identification efforts were exhausted. These burials were conducted in accordance with legal provisions permitting the interment of unidentified persons under such circumstances.

Mothibedi explained, "We have at least 30 more bodies pending identification, and beyond that, the law allows the government to conduct mass funerals."

Addressing concerns about transparency, Mothibedi said the department has actively involved communities in the identification process.

"We have waited for over four months, encouraging community members to come forward with information to assist in identifying the bodies. DNA samples have been extracted and archived in case claims are made in the future," he said.

He dismissed rumors of secret burials, stating that "burials of unidentified bodies are common and generally held without public invitations or fanfare."

Authorities continue to urge anyone with missing relatives to contact the health department or local authorities. DNA profiles remain available for identification should families come forward later.