DNA backlog holds up burials
The Ndlovu family of Mtwalume is waiting to bury their grandson, Siyanda.
Makhosi Ndlovu of Mtwalume is devastated that her family cannot bury her grandson because they are waiting for DNA results, which could take a long time to be issued.
Ndlovu said her grandson, Siyanda Ndlovu, went swimming with friends last month and drowned.
According to her, at the time, police were unable to conduct a search.
The family then saw a post on social media that a body had been found at the beach. Police asked them to bring in a photo of the boy to help them identify him.
“Although the body was damaged, we could identify him. The problem started when another family also came in for identification, and we were told we had to do a DNA test.”
Ndlovu said the police said there was a backlog and it would take months for them to get results.
A police source said the family has to wait for the results.
Gugu Dlamini from Ixopo said her brother’s body was found in a sugarcane field, and the family was also told a DNA test had to be done.
Dlamini said it has been five years since the incident, and they still haven’t buried her brother, in spite of several test samples being taken.
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said that she could not comment on the Mtwalume incident.
The Herald made several attempts to contact the relevant office for over a week but to no avail.
In February 2024, former police minister Bheki Cele said the DNA backlog had been cleared during the release of crime statistics for the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
