Dead Baby Dumped in eMbalenhle Stormwater Drain, South Africans Outraged With Mother’s Conduct
- A newborn baby's body was dumped in a stormwater drain in the Mandela section of eMbalenhle
- The latest incident comes three weeks after a Durban woman was arrested for dumping her baby
- South Africans are disgusted by the mother's decision to dump the baby in a stormwater drain
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues. He spent 10 years working for a community newspaper before transitioning to online
MPUMALANGA – The discovery of a dead fully developed baby dumped in a stormwater drain has got social media users up in arms.
The dumped body was found in a stormwater drain in the Mandela Section of eMbalenhle, a township in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality.
Body spotted by a community member
According to the Ridge Times, the tiny body was spotted by a community member on 2 March 2025. The community member then alerted paramedics to the discovery.
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Paramedics rushed to the scene but found that the infant was already dead. Members of the South African Police Service and paramedics had to wait for forensic pathologists to arrive to remove the body.
Investigations continue into the matter as officials hope to track down the mother.
Verulam woman arrested for dumping baby
The latest incident comes three weeks after a Durban woman was arrested for dumping a newborn baby in a stormwater drain. The 32-year-old woman from Verulam was tracked down and arrested less than one day after the incident. The baby was dumped on 10 February 2025.
The baby was discovered after members of the community flagged down an officer from Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), mentioning that they heard strange noises.
The RUSA officer noticed a black bin bag stuck near the manhole of a stormwater drain and spotted the baby girl near the edge, meters away from a two-meter drop. The officer managed to rescue the baby and radioed RUSA paramedics for assistance. RUSA then received tipoffs from the community which led to the arrest of the mother.
South Africans disgusted by eMbalenhle mother’s behaviour
Social media users weighed in on the dumping of the baby in eMbalenhle, expressing disgust at the mother’s conduct.
Rentia Van Der Westhuizen said:
“No, that woman should never ever be pregnant again. She is evil.”
Jenna-Leigh Engelbrecht suggested:
“Please take babies to a place of safety, like a police station, hospital or clinic. If you do not want a baby, go to your clinic and go on the pill or injection. Please educate the youth 💔.”
Lwandleh Lindokuhle stated:
“Abortion is free though at public hospitals 💔.”
Sifiso King Joffee Sibeko added:
“This is the devil's playground.”
King Sabziro said:
“They know who was pregnant around the section.”
Michelle Booyzen exclaimed:
“Ag. Not another one. Sies people.”
Foestus discovered floating in faeces
In a related article, community members in Vanderbijlpark discovered a foetus floating in faeces.
Residents made the discovery on 25 November 2024 after blocked drains overflowed.
A healthcare professional detailed what mothers could do instead of dumping their babies.
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Source: Briefly News
