An ActionSA Member of Parliament has accused the South African Police Service of negligence after a family in Lavender Hill allegedly found human tissue at a crime scene and collected it themselves following a fatal shooting.
Allegations of incomplete crime‑scene clearance
The MP said a police team had cleared the scene but left pieces of brain tissue at the location. According to a video statement shared on social media, the grieving relatives retrieved the material and stored it in a domestic refrigerator until it was collected by authorities on Monday afternoon after the MP intervened.
“This situation should never have occurred,” the MP said, adding that the police and Forensic Unit had failed to “fulfil their end‑to‑end process on this specific case.”
The MP further alleged that she only escalated the matter to provincial and national police leadership after discovering the remains had been left behind. A formal complaint with police management and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is reported to be under way.
Standards for crime‑scene management
Standard operating procedures for crime‑scene management require SAPS Criminal Record Centre and Forensic Pathology Services to secure and collect forensic material and to clear a site before it is released to property owners or relatives. The MP highlighted that she had not viewed chain‑of‑custody logs because she has no investigative authority, but said her intervention sought to draw attention to what she described as a systemic breakdown that caused further trauma to the bereaved family.
- Initial event: Fatal shooting at a Lavender Hill location (date not specified).
- Aftermath: Police cleared the scene; human tissue allegedly remained.
- Family action: Relatives collected and refrigerated the remains.
- Resolution: Authorities retrieved the material on Monday afternoon after the MP escalated the matter.
The matter raises procedural and accountability questions for SAPS. If accurate, the allegation suggests that either crime‑scene protocols were not fully followed or that coordination between first responders, forensic teams and investigating officers failed.
Accountability and oversight
The MP said she had lodged a complaint with police management and that an IPID complaint was in progress. IPID is the watchdog responsible for probing misconduct by members of SAPS, and the body has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of negligence, excessive force and procedural failures.
The MP defended her public intervention against possible criticism that the action was politically motivated, saying her background in community activism and her parliamentary responsibilities compelled her to act in the interest of the grieving family.
| Action | Detail |
|---|---|
| Video statement | MP circulated a video outlining the allegation |
| Family retrieval | Relatives reportedly collected remains and placed them in a domestic refrigerator |
| Authorities' response | Material retrieved by authorities on Monday afternoon after escalation |
| Oversight | Formal complaint with police management and IPID reported |
At this stage the claims rest with the MP and have not been independently verified in the public domain. Police comment was not available at the time of the MP's statement. The unfolding developments will be of interest to oversight bodies and to community members concerned about forensic practices and the dignity afforded to victims and families.
Investigations by IPID and any internal SAPS inquiries would determine whether crime‑scene procedures were breached, whether there was a failure in chain‑of‑custody handling and what disciplinary or remedial steps are necessary to prevent recurrence.
