The police DNA backlog has surged past 140 000 cases, delaying prosecutions and leading to cases being thrown out of court.
Parliament has called for urgent reforms, including a forensic audit and a public-private partnership to ease the crisis.
With forensic labs overwhelmed, thousands of families remain trapped in uncertainty, unable to bury their loved ones or seek justice.
Dr Vanessa Lynch, regional director of DNAforAfrica, believes that one of the key issues facing the DNA Unit at the SA Police Service Forensic Science Laboratory is its resistance to external capacity assistance despite the overwhelming backlog.
"This crisis is further complicated by inconsistent reporting practices, with different metrics used to track cases - some counted as 'received', others as 'registered', and some only when analysed," Lynch said.
"To address the lack of transparency and improve efficiency, I support the chair's urgent recommendation that the Auditor-General conduct a full forensic audit of all DNA cases received, registered, analysed, and outstanding, among other metrics. These results should also be made public to ensure accountability."
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