Little boy finds aborted foetuses next to sewer
Two foetuses, presumably twins, were discovered by a seven-year-old boy next to a leaking drain in Extension 6.
MASHISHING – The gruesome discovery was made last Tuesday. The child thought that the foetuses were plucked birds and ran to call his mother for help.
Lerato Machase, the mom, said she was horrified to discover that the “birds” were twin foetuses that had been aborted and flushed down the toilet. “I’m shocked and my children traumatised after I told them they were not birds, but human remains,” Machase said.
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Lydenburg SAPS and ward committee members were called to the scene. Pr Elizabeth Fenyane, a Ward 2 committee member, said the overflowing drain had been reported on numerous occasions.
“When I responded to the complaints I called the municipality for assistance. To discover something like this is incredibly unsettling. This is terrible and, unfortunately, we don’t know who the mother is who did this to her babies.”
One elderly resident, Rosa Shabangu, said they (elderly women) were embarrassed by this kind of mannerism conducted by women.
“Police need to take this matter seriously. Abortion is murder, period! This needs to be dealt with and serious measures need to be put in place to prevent these illegal abortions and the killing of innocent souls,” she exclaimed.
Other locals told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that this is a result of the genderbased violence scourge taking place in communities.
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The newspaper sent an enquiry to the Lydenburg SAPS. Capt Alfred Kaizer Moela, spokesperson for Lydenburg SAPS, said the incident had been reported to the police.
“The community service centre received a report of two foetuses found next to a sewer behind rental rooms at Extension 6 in Mashishing. Officers were dispatched to the scene where they discovered the foetuses next to the sewer as indicated. “Police interviewed nearby residents to find out if any information about the abortion or the mother could be obtained, yet no one could provide any reliable information,” Moela said.
He said all relevant stakeholders were summoned to the scene where they executed their different responsibilities. “The foetuses were too small to identify their genders.” Mpumalanga pathologist, Elvis Mkhabela, took the remains to the state mortuary in Lydenburg.
Investigations are pending and no arrests have been made as yet. Members of the community can contact Det Sgt Vusi Motjatji on 081-058-4970.
