A newborn baby defied the odds and survived being dumped in a plastic bag at the sports field in Mbuzini, Mpumalanga, shortly after birth.
A group of children were playing in the field when they heard the cries of an infant and shockingly found the baby wrapped in plastic with no clothes on. The kids promptly alerted elders to their discovery.
According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the newborn baby girl still had her umbilical cord attached when she was found. Police were dispatched to the soccer field on Sunday, 6 August, News24 reported.
Mohlala said community members attended to the baby girl and gave her first aid before taking her to the local hospital for further attention. The baby is reportedly doing well and is under the observation of medical practitioners.
While the police have registered a case of concealment of birth, the community has decided to undertake an investigation of their own to uncover who dumped the baby.
Dorcas Makhubela, a ward committee member in Ward 13 and one of the community members who helped the baby, condemned the incident, The Citizen reported.