The National Department of Health has slammed social media posts claiming money can be made from organ donation in South Africa.

Organ donation recently came under the spotlight when a social media post, which was making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter last week, stated that money could be made through this.

This information was alleged to be from the National Department of Health, claiming that it paid members of the public to donate vital organs and "get money out of it".

Departmental communications director Popo Maja said the image was "absolutely false information".

"The Department of Health would like to warn members of the public that an image making the rounds on social media claiming that the department is collecting body parts in exchange of money is a scam, Maja said.

"The department is not in the business of selling or buying body parts for any reason."

Maja also said trading in human organs was an "illegal, punishable criminal offence".

"Such claims are nothing but a scam which will encourage mutilation with the hope of making quick cash. The minister, on the advice of a ministerial committee on organ donation, has to satisfy himself that there is no financial transaction involved in the donation."

Stasha Jordan, executive director of the South African Breastmilk Reserve, a nonprofit organisation that is a human- milk banking partner for the National Health Department, and accepts donations of breast-milk, said: "We need to be very cautious when making claims that there's money to be made from organ donation. This opens cans of worms which could lead to people being abducted and exploited for their organs.

"The illegal trafficking of organs is very much a reality, and it is closely linked to human trafficking."