The Eastern Cape Department of Health has responded to circulating videos on social media of Ms Busisiwe Mvimbani, who claims to have been denied the right to identify a body at the Butterworth forensic pathology services.
According to the department, Ms Mvimbani has been searching for her missing daughter since 2022 and has viewed all unidentified and unknown bodies kept at the facility since then. Despite this, she has not found her daughter’s body.
The department has acknowledged that there was a poor interaction between Ms Mvimbani and a forensic pathology officer, which is currently under internal investigation.
However, the department has emphasized that Ms Mvimbani has been afforded every opportunity to view the bodies and has been offered counselling services to help her manage her distress and grief.
DNA samples were taken from Ms Mvimbani and will be tested against two bodies from Willowvale. The results will be shared with Ms Mvimbani as soon as they are available.
The department has urged the public to allow the SAPS investigation into the missing daughter’s case to unfold and to refrain from spreading unfounded allegations.
“We sympathize with Ms Mvimbani and her family, and we want to assure them that we are doing everything in our power to assist them in finding closure,” said Dr Rolene Wagner, Head of the Eastern Cape Department of Health.
