The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is appalled to learn that indigent residents in Ekurhuleni are unable to bury their loved ones due to the failure of the municipality to renew contracts with funeral parlours to collect the bodies of their loved ones from hospital morgues for dignified burials.
The fault of this sorry situation lies squarely at the feet of the Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomanto Nkomo-Ralehoko, who is supposed to ensure that the municipality follows the dictates of the National Health Act 61 of 2003 that governs the burials of all persons in the province. Section 68 of the Act covers the disposal of deceased persons, whether they die in a public hospital or of natural or unnatural causes.
The act mandates that municipalities should cover the burial costs of indigent individuals. This is meant to ensure dignity in the death of all persons, to prevent bodies from being abandoned or left without a proper burial, regardless of financial means.
While failure to execute this mandate by a municipality amounts to financial misconduct on the part of the municipality, Section 139 of the Constitution mandates the Provincial Government – in this case, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature – to assume responsibility for these obligations and, in severe cases, dissolve the municipality in question.
The DA has long called on the MEC of Health to do her job by overseeing the funeral parlour and undertaker industries in this province. To date, our requests have fallen on deaf ears. Even our PAIA application for records and documentation about the Funeral Undertakers Bill has been ignored. The extension date of the 4th of July 2025 has come and gone, and no information has been forthcoming.
The DA is calling on the Auditor General and the Special Investigations Unit of SAPS to investigate how the Ekurhuleni Municipality allowed the tender to lapse, and to instruct the Gauteng Department of Health and the MEC to step in and ensure that bereaved families are given a dignified burial for their loved ones.
Under Panyaza Lesufi’s administration, both the living and the dead are not treated with dignity in Gauteng because the Premier refuses to fire his MEC or see her faults, and the people of Gauteng must suffer. A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would never allow families to be disrespected in this manner; we will ensure that funeral parlour contracts are renewed on time to avoid any delays or interruption of burials.