Suspected baby killer infuriates community 

Levubu – Police rescued a 21-year old woman from Mutsha Tshirangadzi just as she was about to be physically assaulted by community members for allegedly killing her baby and attempting to conceal the incident.  

The woman, who is being accused of killing her two-week old baby and then burying the body in a shallow grave, was arrested and appeared before the Vuwani Magistrates’ Court on Friday 6 March on a charge of murder. 

Community members allegedly first saw the woman as she was taking her baby boy to the local clinic on 1 March. 

Those who also spotted her without the baby over the next two days became suspicious after failing to get a glimpse of the little one on 3 March. 

On the next day, a crowd of people confronted the woman and enquired about the whereabouts of the baby while threatening her. 

Police, who were summoned to the scene, had to rescue the woman from the crowd before commencing with their investigations into the case of the missing baby. 

Said police spokesperson brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo: “The woman initially told police that the child became sick and died on 2 March and that she threw its body into the local river.” 

Efforts by personnel from the police search and rescue unit to locate the body in the river yielded no success. 

However, investigations eventually led police to a spot where the body was found buried in a shallow grave.  

“A case of murder has been opened and police investigations are continuing. The motive for this incident is unknown at this stage,” concluded Mojapelo.