Durban - A father has taken to his Facebook page to share his pain as his son’s body lies on the flood at Phoenix Medico-Legal Mortuary.
On Saturday afternoon, Karl Dauth’s Facebook post read: “My son who passed has been at Phoenix State Mortuary since last Saturday I went to identify his body, he was in the same police body bag lying on the floor, the mortuary is over full, they have no water to do autopsies, it is absolutely terrible to know your son is lying in that state I tried to report this to everyone and got one response, yet the Premier gets water delivered to his house, I heard I can bribe someone cost between R2000 and R5000, so this is what I’m going to try and do, so sad I just got to keep saying it’s just his body his soul is gone, but is is so hard.” (sic)
That post was shared more than 770 times and had received more than 370 comments.
The post also included images of Karl, his and the both of them together, as well as an email from the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson on health Dr Rishigen Viranna.
In the email, Viranna is responding to a Lyndal, assumed to have sent him an email regarding the state of the mortuary.
Viranna said: “The conditions are terrible and completely inhumane for the deceased families. I have raised this with my health committee chairperson for an oversight visit to the Phoenix Mortuary in the upcoming week.”
In another Facebook post on Sunday morning, Dauth said the deputy mayor, Philani Mavundla, said his son’s body will be ready for collection at 11am on Monday.
“Good morning, I have just had word from the Deputy Mayor that my sons body will be ready to collect at 11am on Monday, thank you for all the kind words and for the help, God Bless you all.” (sic)
The Daily News had tried to get an interview with Dauth but he had not responded by the time of publication.
A few days ago, the Daily News reported that a non-governmental organisation stepped in to assist the mortuary.
Vice-chairperson of the KZN undertakers forum and ActionSA councillor Ahmed Paruk facilitated the donation of a 5 000-litre water tank to assist the mortuary in Phoenix as it is currently operating without a regular water supply. It was done in conjunction with Jamiatul Ulama KZN.
Daily News