Newborn baby rescued from plastic bag in Mpumalanga

Community members in Mbuzini, Mpumalanga rescued a baby, discovered wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped in the bush yesterday, after children playing nearby heard the infant crying.

“When I arrived at the scene some community members were already there. I quickly tore the plastic bag so she could breathe properly, and I wrapped her in a cloth.

“There was a stench when I unwrapped the bag and I noticed that she was eating her own excrement. I called the police who arrived shortly to take the child to hospital,” says Dorcas Makhubela, a ward committee member in Ward 13, Mbuzini.

Makhubela says they have no clue who could have dumped the baby, but the community intended to conduct their own investigation.

“It is so disheartening that this was done during Women’s Month and it is obvious that the intention was to kill the child. We will go to secondary schools in the area to check if there isn’t a learner who was recently pregnant.”

The police say the baby is currently recovering well at a local hospital and a case of concealment of birth has been opened.

“We can confirm that the infant was found by community members and the police were immediately called to the scene. The baby is currently under hospital care and we are investigating the case,” says Captain Magonseni Nkosi.