Mom drives son's body around for three days

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File photo

Published Dec 4, 2016

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Cape Town - The Western Cape Health Department will launch an investigation into allegations of inefficiency at Stellenbosch Hospital after a family struggled to bury their loved one because of an alleged document bungle.

Department spokeswoman Emerantia Cupido said the delay should not have occurred and the reasons behind it would be investigated.

Kayamandi resident Nolwandle Tyam said the ordeal began on November 27, soon after her son Mzovuyo died after suffering severe burns to his body.

As she was away on a visit to the Eastern Cape at the time, Mzovuyo’s siblings were at the hospital the day he died. “They were told by a nurse who was there to remove the body within four hours and were given the name of an undertaker they should contact," Tyam said.

"However, they called my husband for his advice and my family arranged with another funeral parlour to collect the body as we wanted them to transport it to the Eastern Cape for burial.”

She said the body was collected within the stipulated time, but without the necessary documents from the hospital.

For the next three days Tyam visited the hospital, police and forensic department trying to get documents that certified her son's cause of death so that Home Affairs could issue her with a death certificate.

“All this while, I was driving around in a car carrying my son's dead body,” said Tyam.

The matter was finally resolved on Thursday and Tyam said the family were relieved they could now continue with her son's burial preparations.

Weekend Argus

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