South African Police Service (SAPS) officials in Maphumulo, northern KwaZulu-Natal, are actively probing a case of concealment of birth after the lifeless body of a newborn baby was discovered on Thursday in the Masiwela Area.
According to Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the SAPS spokesperson in KZN, the baby was found discarded inside a plastic bag within a pit latrine. Netshiunda stated, “Maphumulo police are investigating a case of concealment of birth following an incident in which a newborn baby was found dead on January 4, 2024, at Masiwela Area. It is alleged that the body of the baby was dumped inside a pit latrine wrapped in plastic.”
Although Netshiunda did not confirm any arrests, a medical rescue team recovering the baby suggested the potential involvement of a 16-year-old mother. IPSS Medical Rescue reported that the child was located in a two-meter-deep abandoned pit latrine in the iLembe District.
Initially, the private emergency services company indicated that a 16-year-old female and her mother had been arrested in connection with the incident, but police confirmation of the arrest remains pending. The medical rescue team successfully retrieved the newborn’s body from the pit latrine.
Reports from the scene suggest that the 16-year-old allegedly concealed the birth of the baby and disposed of it in the abandoned pit latrine in a neighbor’s yard, placing it inside a plastic packet. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.