A family is distraught after hospital staff "mistakenly" threw away a stillborn baby with medical waste which was later set alight and destroyed.

The stillborn, which weighed more than 1kg, was supposed to have been given to the family which was preparing for its burial.

Zandile Zolo, 21, of Duduza on the East Rand, was admitted to the Pholosong Hospital in Tsakane at eight months pregnant on February 1 and delivered a stillborn baby girl the next day.

Her mother Thembane Zolo visited her the next day and found her in tears.

"I found Zandile crying. I asked her where the child was and she told me that the baby had died. I asked her where the body of the baby was and she told me that it had been placed in the mortuary," Zolo said.

When Sowetan tried to get Zandile's side of the story, she struggled to relate the story, often unable to piece together the chronology of the events. Her family said it's due to the trauma she suffered as she had not been the same ever since.

Zolo said while at the hospital, one of the nurses in the ward, informed her that the child "made the weight", which meant the body of the child would be released to be buried by the family.

"I came home and informed the rest of the family. On a Monday, we immediately started making preparations for the funeral. We secured a burial spot for her. The next day, we sent my daughter to the hospital with others to fetch the body so that we could bury her on Wednesday," she said.

Zolo said her daughter and other family members of the family waited at the hospital for a long time and were then informed that the doctor was in meetings. The group returned home without the corpse.

But she was then shocked when nurses and a doctor from the hospital visited them to break the sad news. "They told us that a mistake happened and the body of the child was thrown away with medical waste. The waste was then set alight. When they realised what had happened they could not do anything because it was too late."

Zolo said the CEO of the hospital apologised to the family and promised to help Zandile get counselling for the trauma she suffered. She has not received the counselling as yet.

Yesterday, EFF members protested outside the hospital demanding justice for Zandile.

Zolo said her daughter's condition had deteriorated over the past weeks as she was not able to find closure for her loss.

"We wish we could sue the hospital but we do not have money. My daughter has suffered deeply through this loss. She has not been alright. She cannot speak properly.

"She can hardly sleep due to nightmares. I wish the hospital could give my daughter some compensation, maybe she can recover spiritually."

Gauteng health spokesperson Philani Mhlungu said the matter was under investigation, adding that further comment would be made at a later stage.