Baby found dead on side of road

A newborn baby boy was found wrapped in a plastic packet and dumped on the side of the road in Bethelsdorp on Friday night.

The baby, estimated to be no more than two days old, was found in Harrington Street at about 9pm.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said a passing motorist spotted the baby.

"The baby was in a clear plastic packet and wearing a purple top. Around his head was a plastic packet."

Labans said detectives were awaiting the postmortem results to establish the exact cause of death.

"The circumstances around why the child was left there and who the parents are remain unknown. Detectives are attempting to track down them down," he said.

An inquest case has been opened pending the outcome of the postmortem.

The case could be changed to murder once the cause of death has been established and additional charges added.