Residents of Thembukhwezi, Khayelitsha, were left disturbed by the discovery of a newborn’s body dumped in a shipping container along Japhta K Masemola Road on Monday 20 April.

Community reacts to newborn found dead

One resident who was at the scene and preferred to remain anonymous, described the incident as shocking. She said the newborn appeared to be fully developed.

“I suspect that the mother gave birth to the child and killed the baby. I’m not sure about the gender, but the baby was fully formed.”

The resident said there is no reason for a mother to kill or abandon their baby as they had other options, such as taking them to a social worker.

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Councillor responds to tragedy

Ward 18 councillor Ntomboxolo Kopman, who also described the incident as terrible, said it was suspected that the baby was dumped there during the night.

“It was discovered by cleaners on Monday morning. It looked as if the body had been there for some time. The face appeared to have been bitten by rats. I informed community members living nearby to report anything suspicious to the police. This is the first time such an incident has occurred in my ward.”

She believed the baby was dumped and the person fled the scene. Kopman noted that the shipping container is located along a busy road. “Anyone could have come, dumped the baby, and left. It will be difficult to trace the culprit.”

Police investigate discovery

Khayelitsha police spokesperson Sgt Asanda Daweti confirmed the incident: “the body of a newborn was discovered in a shipping container by cleaners near Japhta K Masemola Road, Thembukhwezi on Monday 20 April. A murder case has been registered, and officers are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made yet.”