A newborn baby was found wrapped in a blanket, in a box, in a ravine in Mbutshane in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, on Saturday afternoon.

It is believed that the baby boy was found by a toddler, who alerted family members.

According to the local induna (tribal councillor), Mfiselwa Makhaye, it seems as if the suspect gave birth at the scene because the umbilical cord was still attached and the placenta was present.

Fortunately, the induna’s daughter is a nurse, so the baby received the necessary care before being taken to hospital.

“It breaks my heart that a lot of people want to have children, but have certain conditions that prohibit them; we still have people who have the audacity to dump innocent children,” he says.

Msunduzi Municipality Ward 40 councillor Jabu Ngubo says she was shocked by the incident. She believes more community education programmes are needed to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

“If it happens that you are already pregnant, there are numerous options that you can choose instead of putting a child’s life at risk,” she adds.

KZN Department of Social Development spokesperson Mhlabunzima Memela says government has provided several alternatives to protect children.

“Dumping a child is a criminal offence, and those involved in such crimes need to be prosecuted. As the department, we have been leading several campaigns encouraging new mothers to make use of all available avenues to protect the lives of children.”

He asks anyone who knows who the mother is to contact the police.