Herdsmen find body of newborn in eMbalenhle
The dead infant was wrapped in a green bloodstained towel.
eMBALENHLE – The body of a stillborn baby was found adjacent to the reservoir in Ext 15, eMbalenhle, on September 30.
Cattle herdsmen found the body and reported it to the nearby community members. The baby was covered with a green blood-stained towel next to a hole in the ground.
Community members were dissatisfied with the time eMbalenhle police took to get to the scene. According to the community, the police were called in the afternoon but only attended to the scene during the evening.
Resident Solly Galela said something needs to be done about the numerous incidents of dead babies found in eMbalenhle.
“This is getting out of hand. A dead baby is weekly found in eMbalenhle, but we never hear of anyone being arrested.
“The culprits are living among us. If the herdsmen did not find the body in the grazing land, dogs would have eaten it and no one would have known about it,” said Galela.
He thanked Secunda police on behalf of the community. The eMbalenhle police spokesperson, Constable Busi Mthethwa, refuted claims that police never responded on time.
She said the telephones have not been working for the past three months. “The matter was reported to the provincial office.”
Mthethwa said the community was informed about the problem through community meetings and has been advised to call the Secunda Police Station for emergencies. She said an inquest docket has been opened and the investigation continues.
