Bodies of two dumped babies are found within a week in eMbalenhle
The first newborn was found in a bucket and in the second incident, a baby boy's body was found in the sewer in Ext 25.
In a week, two bodies of babies were found dumped in eMbalenhle. A contracting employee who was unblocking the sewer in Ext 25 on August 7 made the most recent discovery.
Residents in the area were shocked to see the decomposing corpse of a fully developed baby boy that had been carried full term being pulled from the manhole.
The police and emergency services were called to the scene and an inquest docket has been opened.
The residents in this area have been complaining about sewer spills in their areas for a long time.
When Ridge Times newspaper visited the area a few weeks ago, the residents were complaining about sewage spills and the accompanying stench that is hazardous to their health.
These residents said they have lived in a hazardous environment for months, which they did report to the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
Promises to tend to the problem remain unfulfilled.
After the baby was found in the manhole on Wednesday, some residents believe this to be the reason for the continuous sewage spills. Remarks were made that perhaps more bodies of babies are still inside their sewer network.
“We are the only section to experience such high sewage spills in eMbalenhle. Even if the municipality can unblock it today, the sewer will be overflowing into our homes and streets the next day,” explained a resident.
“We as residents need to open our eyes now because this is not the first incident. Last year a foetus was found in one of the manholes not far from this one,” said the resident.
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Donald Green, the spokesman for the Govan Mbeki Municipality, previously appealed to the residents to follow proper waste management practices to protect infrastructure and the environment.
Green said the increase in blocked sewer drains in the area is because people dispose of foreign objects in toilets and waste water drains, causing the blockages and overflows.
In the meantime, the police are also searching for a suspect who dumped a bucket containing the body of a newborn baby in a stormwater canal in Ext 18, eMbalenhle, on the evening of July 29.
The small body was wrapped in plastic with diapers inside the bucket. A man who was searching for recyclable materials discovered the tiny corpse in the bucket with the umbilical cord still attached.
He reported it to a Ward 14 committee member, Ninja Majola, who informed the police and local councillors about the incident.
Constable Busi Mthethwa, the eMbalenhle police spokesperson, said they first opened an inquest, but they later changed it to a case of concealment of birth.
Mthethwa said all role players were summoned to the scene where a paramedic confirmed the baby was dead.
The DA councillor, Anita Mkhwebane and Calvin Makhado, Ward 13 ANC councillor, were the first to arrive on the scene. Mkhwebane said what they saw was shocking. She said as a woman, felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Mkhwebane said women should go to the clinics rather than give birth on their own. The infant’s umbilical cord was still attached, which proves this was a newborn baby.
“It looks like the person who dumped this baby gave birth without assistance because we also saw diapers in the bucket. We hope the law will make sure the culprit is found and jailed,” said Mkhwebane.
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