Woman, 24, Leaves Newborn To Die In Neighbour’s Garden In Bulawayo
A 24-year-old woman has been arrested after a newborn baby was found dumped in a neighbour’s vegetable garden in the early hours of Sunday. The infant later died in the hospital.
Priviledge Ncube, of Nkulumane 5, Bulawayo, is accused of giving birth at home before allegedly wrapping the baby and leaving it in a nearby yard.
The incident happened at about 4 am on 3 May when Ncube allegedly delivered a baby boy at her home. She is then alleged to have gone to a neighbour’s house and left the infant in a vegetable garden.
The baby was only found hours later, at about 3 pm, after a resident heard unusual sounds.
“I heard what sounded like a puppy crying in my garden,” a neighbour said. “When I went to check, I was shocked to find a newborn baby covered with leaves and soil.”
The infant was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital but later died.
Police said investigations were helped by information from residents who had noticed a young woman in the area who appeared to have recently been pregnant.
“Upon being interviewed, the suspect admitted that she had given birth earlier that morning and had dumped the infant where it was later found,” said Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ndlovu.
Neighbours told reporters they had heard Ncube in distress during the night.
“She was whimpering in pain,” said one resident. “When some of us checked, we were told she had a stomach ache, so we didn’t suspect anything serious.”
The man believed to be her boyfriend, who was living with her, said he did not know she was pregnant.
“I honestly didn’t know she was expecting,” he said. “Her stomach was swollen, but she kept saying she wasn’t feeling well. I thought it was just an illness.”
Police have urged members of the public to seek help in cases of crisis pregnanci7es and appealed to families to support young women.
Ncube is expected to appear in court soon, facing charges related to concealment of birth and exposing an infant.
More: ZimLive
