According to residents, the Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel in Alexandra has had many cases of dumped foetuses, and the most recent case on 5 February was the most shocking because it was discovered by children on a playground. It is claimed the police and paramedics took a long time to arrive on the scene.
Children were playing on a warm February Friday afternoon when they made the gruesome discovery. Soon many of them had gathered around and the adults had to pull them away.
The gruesome discovery was made at about 2.30pm when the police were allegedly called but it is claimed that they, together with paramedics, arrived almost an hour later. The foetus was covered up by paramedics at about 4pm.
A resident, Omphemetse Matabane said, “I saw many children gathered at a corner of the playground. When I went there I was very shocked to see a foetus on the ground.”
Residents suspect that a teenage girl delivered a stillborn foetus in a room in the Women’s Hostel and dumped it on the playground.
Matabane said, “I suspect that the mother of the child is a high school pupil. I think that she gave birth to a stillborn in a room in the hostel and then put it on the playground.”
Another resident, Letta Molongwane agreed and said she believed that the foetus was not dropped from a balcony or window. “I suspect a teenage girl gave birth to a stillborn in a room and got scared and placed it on the playground,” she said.
“I was somewhere and I was called to come and see that a foetus was dumped. I came and there were no police or paramedics at the scene. I called the police and after some time they came. Soon paramedics also came.”
Police at the scene had to wait patiently for a forensics team to arrive, and after many calls and almost two hours later, the team had still not arrived.
Johannesburg Emergency Management Services’ Nana Radebe confirmed the incident. “Johannesburg Emergency Management Services received a call at 4.30pm on 5 February. Paramedics were at the Women’s Hostel within five minutes. When they arrived they saw a foetus on the ground. They covered up the foetus,” said Radebe.
Only women and children are allowed to live in the hostel. When male children reach the age of seven they have to leave, and usually leave with their mothers. There are many teenage girls living at the hostel.
Police and City of Johannesburg Housing department could not be reached for comment.
Written by Itumeleng Tau – freelance journalist
