Mom dumps newborn in pit toilet

Christmas Day is traditionally a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ‚ but one young mother went to desperate lengths to conceal the birth of her baby. Now she and her sister are under arrest.

The South African Police Service in Mpumalanga said the 23-year-old woman and her 32-year-old sister will appear at the Nkomazi Magistrate's Court facing concealment of birth as well as attempted murder charges today‚ Wednesday 27 December 2017.

At Masibulele Trust‚ near Mbuzini‚ on Christmas Day‚ the police were alerted to a baby's cries‚ coming from some public toilets not far from the suspects' parental home.

Colonel Mtsholi Bhembe said when the SAPS officials arrived‚ they discovered that it was a newly born baby who had been apparently left for dead in the pit toilet.

After preliminary investigations‚ "it transpired that the suspect was aided by her sister in giving birth to a baby girl‚ which they then tried to get rid of".

The sisters were taken into custody after the mother had been taken to hospital for a check-up.

The Provincial Commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga‚ Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma‚ urged parents‚ especially young mothers‚ not to attempt to get rid of their offspring due to prevailing circumstances of difficulty or despair‚ but to seek assistance from relevant avenues.

"There are social workers who are readily available to receive your unwanted baby and to facilitate adoption processes with couple's who are desperate for a child"‚ said the General.