A newborn baby was found in Eerste River, abandoned under a tree with its umbilical cord still attached.
The shocking discovery was made on Friday by a man who was looking for recycling material in Forest Drive.
He handed the little girl, who was clothed and warmly wrapped in a blanket, to resident Louise Dowries, who was walking home from work.
She says: “The guy was skarreling and he walked towards me, saying he found a baby in the bushes.
“He was collecting scrap material and other recyclable materials, when he says he saw something moving and decided to check. He picked up the baby and looked for someone he could hand it over to and it happened to me.
“I checked the baby and saw it was a girl. Her umbilical cord was still attached to her. I think the baby was born on Thursday and dumped there. I was shocked, I am still shocked and the man who handed the baby over to me was shocked too.”
Louise shared pictures of the baby on Facebook and asked people to assist in tracking the mother.
She handed over the baby to police, who have since launched a search for the mother.
Man (regs) het kind oorhandig aan my nadat hy haar onder boom gevind het.
Posted by Louise Dowries on Friday, December 18, 2020
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana says an investigation has been opened.
“Police are investigating the circumstances of a baby that was found by a passer-by, abandoned in Eerste River on Friday,” she says.
“The baby was taken to a place of safety and police appeal to anyone with information to come forward and that can assist the police to trace the mother of the child. People can contact Kleinvlei police on 021 902 8500.”
The following morning, a few kilometres away in Old Faure Road, a dead newborn baby was found in a bucket, but that one was not so lucky.
Rwexana explains: “A death inquest has been opened for investigation with no arrests yet, after a dead baby was found in Old Faure Road on Saturday morning.
“Anyone with information that can assist the police with the investigation is requested to contact Kleinvlei police on 021 902 8500.”
velani.ludidi@inl.co.za