The community of Tshiozwi is deeply disturbed after a group of children stumbled upon the body of a new-born baby lying in the street. The gruesome discovery was made on Thursday, 4 November.
The shocked children immediately ran to inform their elders. The police were called, who rushed to the scene with undertakers in tow. According to eyewitnesses, the baby was carelessly dumped in the street, its umbilical cord still attached.
"Why on earth would anyone do this? How can any normal parent dump such a wonderful gift from God in this manner? Some people can't even conceive. This is unacceptable," said Ms Lebo Maemu, one of the village locals.
Maemu told Limpopo Mirror that she was at her house when the children came screaming and informed her that a baby had been found in the street. "I rushed to see what they had found, and indeed there was baby in the street. The dead little body was naked, and its umbilical cord was still hanging from it. It was a fully developed baby boy. I don't know if the woman who threw the baby away is local or someone from another village."
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said that they did not know who had dumped the baby there. "The street where the baby was found is next to the D3715 road going to Kutama, so the mother could be from another village," the resident said.
Curious community members, some of them with tears running down their faces, looked on in pain as the undertakers took the little baby to the mortuary.
Provincial police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that an inquest docket was opened and that they are investigating a case of concealment of birth. "The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated," said Mojapelo. The body of the baby boy will be kept at the mortuary while police continue with their investigations.
Anyone who can assist the police in tracing the mother, or may know of any woman who had recently been pregnant and may be linked to this case, is asked to please contact the police immediately. Alternatively, call the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.