Stilfotein: The Department of Health in the North West, wishes to refutes unfounded claims that, provincial Forensic Pathology Services Facilities are unable to cope with the increasing number of illegal miners’ corpses, extracted underground in Stilfotein on the ongoing national rescue operation.

The Department’s plan of readiness has been approved and shared by MEC Sello Lehari, during his briefing session yesterday at Stillfotein.

The Department has identified several forensic pathology services facilities to deal with the expected, sizeable number of corpses as the operation is ongoing.

As of this morning , fifty-one (51) bodies have been retrieved underground in the last three days of the recue operation.

All corpses have been handed over to the Department ’s forensic facilities.

We have also beefed up our medical personnel, by contracting more nurses, radiographers, doctors and other medical personnel.

The department is also assiting with identification processes through DNA and other medical means, including postmortems to determine whether these deaths were as a results of hunger as alleged, illness or injuries.

The Department cautions members of the public and media against disinformation and misinformation peddled by some groups at Stilfotein aimed at discrediting all efforts and strides made by the department so far.

This is a breakdown of spaces in our forensic facilities:

Bodies retrieved on Monday: 13 Jan 2025= 36

Bodies retrieved on Tuesday 14 Jan 2025 = 51

Total bodies retrieved by yesterday = 87

Space in the province at Forensic Pathology Services Dr KK district = 70 spaces

Bojanala District = 240 spaces



There is enough space in the province to store the bodies for now.

On the issue of Gauteng Forensic vans

The province has 20 vehicles that can carry 4 bodies each.

Due to the high number of bodies in a short space; Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services has been asked to assist with vehicles to deliver the deceased to North West Forensic Pathology Services mortuaries. All bodies remain in the North West.



Media Enquiries

Keletso Ratlhagane -Media Relations Ksratlhagane@nwpg.gov.za 0609801091

Tshegofatso Mothibedi -Spokesperson 073 503 5045/ 060 567 3413 END.