In a space of just one year, Alexandra has seen a concerning rise in the number of cases of concealment of birth.

In 2025, residents discovered newborns abandoned in fields, dumped along the Jukskei River, and some left in rubbish heaps—some alive and others dead.

Reports indicate that over ten bodies of newborns were discovered abandoned last year, but these haven’t been confirmed by the police. However, Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane confirmed that concealment of birth is a concerning issue in Alexandra.

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He emphasised that the local South African Police Service (SAPS) has been committed to both prevention and prosecution to curb the rise of these cases.

“We look at concealment of birth, we look at it and [ask] how are we going to prevent this—is it through awareness. There are members of SAPS dealing with awareness campaigns.”

Ngubane highlighted that while some cases result in successful arrests, others remain unsolved due to insufficient information.

He pointed out a key difference between concealment of birth and other serious crimes like murder, where community reluctance to report or provide tip-offs is common, noting that, at least with cases of concealment of birth, residents do report them.

“Most of the cases reported are reported by the community. They would come and say they are not scared. They would tell you who they suspect, which is the same as assault. When it comes to assault, the suspects are always known. It is a lot, but suspects are known and are arrested.”

Ngubane strongly cautioned against downplaying the severity of these acts, noting that in some instances, concealment of birth might be equated to murder in its gravity—especially when intent or negligence leading to a child’s death is involved.

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“If you look at concealment of birth, [in some cases] it is the same as if you are murdering someone. And they [the court] would consider it as if you took the life of a child. That is murder. It is so serious.”

He elaborated that courts could classify some offences under murder provisions when intent is proven. He said even when one gives birth to a stillborn and decides to discard it, that can prove intent.

“It was intentional. Let’s say maybe you are pregnant, and you went to the doctor or clinic and after that something happened, the doctor would also testify that it is not your fault, but intentionally, you don’t go to a doctor and after that you take a child and you throw the child in the field or Jukskei, that is intentional,” he said.

Ngubane hopes that awareness campaigns, along with media reports, will eventually help tackle the problem at its roots, and also reinforce that the law treats these incidents as serious crimes against life.

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