Police have arrested a Hammanskraal, Gauteng, grandmother for allegedly burying two dead babies in shallow graves in her backyard.

According to SAPS’ spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, police in Temba responded to a concealment of the birth incident at a house in Unit 7, following a visit by the Department of Health’s home-based care officials on Friday.

She says that according to reports, officials were alerted by community members that a woman had given birth at home and not registered the baby with the Department of Home Affairs.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the 32-year-old woman gave birth to triplets on March 8.

It is reported that one of the babies was stillborn, one died two days later, and the third is still alive, says Muridili.

She adds that when the woman gave birth, she allegedly buried the stillborn baby with assistance from her 51-year-old mother, in a shallow grave in their yard.

“Two days later, the second baby died, and he was also buried in a shallow grave,” says Muridili.

The police’s Crime Scene Investigation team was called to the scene on Saturday.

“The remains of the two babies, a boy and a girl, were exhumed and taken to the government mortuary.”

The woman and her remaining baby girl were taken to hospital for medical attention.

“[The grandmother] has been taken into custody to face possible charges of defeating the ends of justice. The [children’s mother] will also face charges of concealment of birth, as well as defeating the ends of justice.”

Muridili says a postmortem will be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.