Dedicated office to issue death certificates not necessary says Home Affairs

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape wants a temporary Home Affairs office dedicated to the issuing of death certificates in East London.

The party said on Thursday that bodies were piling up in the Buffalo City Municipality as funeral undertakers were unable to secure death certificates for deceased people due to the continuous closure of local Home Affairs offices for decontamination and deep cleaning because of COVID-19.

DA Councillor Sue Bentley said undertakers have had to travel to Komani to obtain the documents needed for the burial or cremation of bodies.

She said this had not only disadvantaged the undertakers who run out of storage waiting for the certificates, but also the families who have lost loved ones.

Bentley said families are forced to wait before they can pay their last respects and also have to deal with the increased cost of daily mortuary storage.

The party has appealed to the Home Affairs Ministery to pay close attention to the issue and speedily set up the office to ease the burden.

However, funeral homes who spoke to Algoa FM News on condition of anonymity said the offices were operating steadily as there had not been any closures since June.

They alluded to the long queues outside the offices to the spike in COVID-19 related regulations and deaths.

Eastern Cape Home Affairs Provincial Manager, Gcinile Mabulu said the DA's recommendation of a special office for the issuing of death certificates was rejected by the Provincial COVID-19 Command Council in June, on the basis that there had been no crisis.