A newborn baby girl was discovered alive in a pit toilet in Khakhala village, Giyani on Saturday.
The owner of the pit toilet, Khatsanga Ngoveni, was about to demolish it to make way for a new one when he heard a strange sound coming from the toilet. “I had removed the roof and was busy demolishing the walls when I heard a strange sound like that of a cat coming from inside,” he explained.
“On taking a closer look, I saw something wrapped in a yellow cloth, and I saw that it was a baby,” he said.
The police were called and the baby was taken to the local clinic.
In the meantime, the baby’s mother, who is around 14 years old, was found. The mother and baby were both taken to Nkhensani hospital for medical attention.
According to some villagers, the young mother lived with her mother and stepfather. “She’s originally from Magona village, but she lives here because her mother remarried in this village,” one resident explained.
Giyani police spokesperson, Thomas Makhubele said no case had been opened against the mother as yet because the police were still investigating the circumstances of her pregnancy and what led to her abandoning her child.
“The mother is a minor; the matter is still very mixed up, and we are not even sure of her exact age at this stage. We want to get to the bottom of the matter before we charge anyone,” he said, urging angry villagers to calm down and let the police do their work.
