The daughter of murdered Mitchells Plain pensioner Gafsa Roberts has delivered her baby at home all BY HERSELF and has named the little girl after her late ouma.
Rushaana Adams says little Gafsa made a surprise entrance into the world early on Saturday morning, while she was alone at home with her four young children in Hanover Park.
Rushaana, 37, says she mistook her labour pains for a stomach virus and was shocked when her water broke while she was using the toilet.
“My husband, Gasant, was at work and I was at home with the children and the baby was only due on 10 November,” the mom explains.
“I had pains which I thought was a virus because I know what labour pains feel like.
“Then while I was sitting on the toilet, I just heard a bloop sound and I jumped up and moved to my bedroom.
“Then there was pain it was one minute apart and then I knew the baby was coming.”
KILLED: Gafsa Roberts, 61, allegedly murdered by son
The brave mom of five says she quickly positioned herself on the edge of the bed and took off her underwear, realising she had no other option but to take matters into her own hands.
“I said to myself: ‘She is coming!’ It was so unreal,” Rushaana says, shaking her head.
“I sat on the edge of the bed in a crouching position and I began pushing. At 5.45am she was born.”
Rushaana says she managed to break the amniotic sac with her bare hands.
“I caught her and she was still in the sac and I pulled it open and then I turned her over to let the water out of her as she had swallowed fluids,” she says.
“I wrapped her in a towel and my three-year-old shouted ‘Gafsa!’ Allah was with us in that moment.”
She asked her eldest child, aged 14, to call neighbour Natalie Lewis, a trained nurse, who in turn called the ambulance.
CASE: Shakoor Roberts
Natalie says: “When I arrived, Rushaana stood in the passage frozen with shock and the umbilical cord was still attached to baby and mom.”
The two were rushed to Mowbray Maternity Hospital and Rushaana says: “I always intended to name her Gafsa, after my mother.”
Rushaana’s brother, Shakoor Roberts, 24, allegedly strangled their 61-year-old mother to death.
Neighbours found Gafsa’s decomposed body in her wheelie bin in front of her home in Winterhoek Street, Tafelsig, on 2 March 2015.
Shakoor is expected back at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court today where a final postponement in the matter has been requested.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za