Residents in Mfuleni were left shocked after City workers found a dead baby dumped in a drain.
Horrified onlookers said all they could do was remove the child from the drain and wait for the police and emergency services to arrive.
None of the community members could say where the child came from.
Sipho Ketwa, 45, from Mfuleni, says she cannot believe people would throw their children away.
“We have a lot of places where desperate mothers can leave their children,” he says.
“You can just leave your child at anyone’s door. It is a horrible thing to do. God will never allow this person to live. She will die, just like she let her child die.”
According to Ketwa, the baby appeared to be full-term, with the umbilical cord still attached.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, confirmed: “A death inquest case has been opened for investigation after a foetus was found in Minister Street, Bardale Mfuleni, on Wednesday afternoon by the workers who unblocked a drain.
“Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation with no arrests so far.”
In January, a Philippi resident found the body of a dead newborn floating in the canal at NY15. The baby’s umbilical cord and amniotic sack were still attached.