A newborn baby boy was found dead in a pit latrine at a Sundumbili property, Mandeni, in KZN, yesterday.

According to IPSS Search and Rescue operations manager Phumlani Vezi, it is suspected the infant was stillborn because the umbilical cord was still attached to it.

“The baby was discovered by one of the tenants. With the help of Rural Metro, we were able to recover the body and handed it over to the police,” says Vezi.

He adds the mother of the baby has not been identified at this stage.

This is the third incident this year of babies found dead in the iLembe region.

Two months ago KwaDukuza police arrested a 29-year-old man for murder after a baby was allegedly buried in a shallow grave by the parents.

In a separate incident, a mother and daughter were arrested after a newborn baby was found dead in a pit latrine in Maphumulo in January.