Young mother arrested for alleged murder of baby

The police in Levubu have arrested a 21-year old woman on Wednesday for allegedly killing her two-weeks-old baby.

According to provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the woman allegedly buried the baby’s body in a shallow grave at Mutsha Tshirangadzi village.

It was reported that the woman was rescued by police from the hands of angry local community members. She was allegedly seen on Sunday carrying the baby boy, supposedly taking him to the local clinic. She was also seen the next day on Monday with the same baby but on Tuesday (3rd), the baby was nowhere to be seen.

Mojapelo said that members of the community then became suspicious that something bad might have happened to the baby. On Wednesday, the woman was confronted by community members, who allegedly threatened her with violence, asking her where the baby was. The police were then called and they managed to rescue her. 

The police investigated the case, probing the whereabouts of the baby. The woman allegedly initially told them the child became sick and she decided to take him to the clinic and later to the local hospital. She then alleged that the baby died on Monday and that she threw his body into a river.

Members of the South African Search and Rescue Unit were as a result summoned to the scene and on arrival, they commenced with the search and rescue mission. After the body could not be found in the river, the police continued with investigations which led them to a spot where the body was found buried in a shallow grave.

A case of murder has been opened and police investigations are continuing. The motive for this incident in unknown at this stage.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba has warned community members to desist from taking the law into their own hands and give the police the necessary space to conduct investigations unhindered.

The suspect will appear in Vuwani Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 6 March, facing a charge of murder.

Date:05 March 2020

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