KZN health MEC labelled as 'untrustworthy' amid mortuary go-slow
|Published
A distraught family gathers outside the Department of Health Medico-Legal mortuary in Umbilo, Durban. Families have been unable to retrieve bodies for burial because of the ongoing mortuary strike. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency (ANA) A distraught family gathers outside the Department of Health Medico-Legal mortuary in Umbilo, Durban. Families have been unable to retrieve bodies for burial because of the ongoing mortuary strike. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency (ANA)
Durban - Bereaved families waiting for the bodies of relatives to be released have labelled Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo as “untrustworthy” after his promise to address the mortuary strike fell flat on Tuesday.
The grieving families were sitting in the scorching sun outside Durban’s Gale Street mortuary, waiting for an update on their dead relatives bodies.
The Lembede and Nciki families said they were scheduled to hold funerals on Saturday, but had to postpone the burials due to the ongoing forensic pathology strike.
More families were sitting inside the mortuary, avoiding the sun.
Lindiwe Lembede, of Nsimbini near Isipingo, south of the city, said their hopes were lifted when she spoke to Dhlomo on Sunday afternoon.
“He took my contact number and the body number of my younger brother and said he would call to give us an update. I have since given up on him because he never called. He is untrustworthy, and he is not the caring leader he portrays himself to be,” she said.
Lembede said they had mourners who had arrived from Gauteng and the Eastern Cape waiting for the funeral to be held.
“It’s been two weeks now since we planned to bury my brother. MEC Dhlomo, his head of department and other senior officials are Africans. They know the meaning of candle-lighting and sitting on the mattress during the days heading towards the burial. They know that a grieving family cannot get past that period until the loved one is buried. They don’t have a plan B and we suffer because of that,” she said.
Thembi Nciki, of Harding, said Dhlomo had referred her to department head Dr Musa Gumede.
“He (Gumede) promised me that he would bring soldiers to assist and take bodies to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital today. I have been sitting here since this morning, and nothing is happening. This is painful to the extent that we want to take my cousin without a post mortem. We were warned that it was against the law to bury someone without an autopsy. These people just pretend to care about the poor, yet they don’t,” Nciki said.
The forensic pathology employees have been on a go-slow over wages and “pathetic” working conditions since last month.
On Monday, 17 Fort Napier mortuary employees were arrested for contempt of court after the department won a court ruling instructing mortuary staff to get back to work.
The employees were released yesterday with a warning to return to work, or risk being arrested again and expelled. The matter was adjourned to February 9 on condition that they returned to work and functioned optimally.
The department said 16 Gale Street mortuary staff were arrested yesterday and are expected to appear in court today.
Mandla Shabangu, Democratic Nurses Organisation of SA provincial organiser, said there was no political will to resolve the impasse. He said they were still engaging with the department over the matter.
The Public and Allied Workers’ Union of SA said it felt for the families, but Dhlomo was to blame for the situation.
The department previously said it had contingency measures in place, but declined to divulge those measures.
By 5pm on Tuesday there was no indication that any bodies would be released, and all families left the mortuary.
The department apologised for the delays, saying it continued to implement a contingency plan.
It said it was doing its best to assist the bereaved families.
* People who wish to inquire about the progress of autopsies should call 0800005133.