The discovery of a dead newborn baby inside the oven of an unused, rusty old stove at Ximixoni village, outside Malamulele, late on Sunday afternoon (30 July), has left the community speechless with shock and disbelief.
According to neighbours, who asked not to be named, the finding was made at the home of a man who had relocated to Gauteng nearly two years ago, during which time the house had been unoccupied. The owner had apparently just sent his brother to the house to get rid of some old belongings that were still standing around the yard. On this same day, a scrap-metal collector happened to be passing down the street, and the owner's brother told him to take what he wanted. The broken, unused stove was among the items that the scrap-metal collector was interested in. However, when he opened the oven, he found a dead baby inside.
"They started shouting for the community members to come and see, and when we went there, we were all shocked. There was still a bit of blood on the baby's neck," the source said.
Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba confirmed this. "The police were informed about the incident, and upon their arrival, they summoned emergency services personnel who, on their arrival, inspected the body and declared the baby dead. The baby girl appeared to have been dumped inside the old, unused stove by the unknown mother," he said.
The Saselamani police have opened an inquest.
According to the ward councillor, Mr Setfree Hlungwani, the community held a meeting with women from the local communities on Monday, 31 July, to find out who had been pregnant, to identify the culprit. Hlungwani said they would be holding another meeting on Wednesday, 2 August.
The media liaison officer of the Department of Social Development, Mr Joshua Kwapa, said they hoped investigations would reveal the details of what had happened, leading to an arrest and successful prosecution. "Our call is for mothers to have options in the event that they are not able to care for their newborn. Giving their children up for adoption is one of the options. We are calling on mothers to contact a social worker, who will provide professional help, which will lead to the protection and care of newborn babies," he said.
Anyone who can assist the police with information about the mother can contact Detective Warrant Officer Reckson Chauke on 082 414 2989.