EC mom arrested after grim find of dead baby’s body

A Port St Johns mother has been arrested after the body of her 11-month-old baby was found in a refuse bag in the bushes.

An Eastern Cape mother from Nonyevu, in Port St Johns, is facing a charge of murder after the body of her 11-month-old baby girl was found by a local man in the bushes.

The 27-year-old woman allegedly put the body of her baby in a refuse bag before dumping it in the bushes.

The body was discovered on Friday, 5 January, by a man who went into the bushes to relief himself. The mother of the dead baby was traced after he alerted members of the community.

According to information received by the police, it is believed that the infant fell ill on 29 December before passing away on 1 January.

“It is alleged that the mother wrapped the child in a towel, put her in a plastic bag then threw her body in the bushes at Nonyevu locality where she was living at the time,” said police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo.

ALSO READ: Newborn found dead in Maphumulo pit latrine

The mother was assaulted by the community and is hospitalised. She will be charged for murder and is expected to make an appearance in the Port St John’s Magistrate’s Court soon.

A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Father shoots teenage son

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, A 41-year-old man has been taken into custody on charges of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm after he allegedly discharged a firearm while he was cleaning it, injuring his teenage son in December.

The arrest follows an in-depth investigation by the police, revealing disturbing details surrounding the ownership of the weapon that was involved in the shooting.

ALSO READ: Man who shoots son while cleaning firearm, arrested on two charges

Unlicensed firearm

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, a probe had to be instituted to find out as to how the young man from Masoyi, in Mpumalanga, got shot.

“It was during the tour of the investigation that the men and women in blue dug deep then unearthed information about the firearm involved.
“They discovered that the man was not the lawful owner of the firearm, but that rather the weapon belonged to his late father in terms of the records,” Mohlala said.