The discovery was made by a shepherd on Sunday afternoon (15/2) while tending his grazing cattle. It is said he heard a baby crying and quickly traced the sound to the drainage area, where he found the child wrapped in a blue fleece blanket.
The police and emergency services were called to the scene. The baby was rushed to a local hospital for further medical treatment as the umbilical cord was still attached.
“The baby is being treated and his condition is stable,” Free State police spokesperson Mmako Mophiring said. “The identity of the biological mother or suspect is currently unknown.”
“The matter has been referred to the Puthaditjhaba Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit for further investigation on charges of attempted murder.”
Police are urging anyone with information to contact Lieutenant Colonel Jwalane Rasunyane of the Puthaditjhaba Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit on 079 890 0383 or contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111. “All information will be kept strictly confidential.”
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Theunissen mother, who allegedly left her newborn son under a tree near a walking spot on the R30, will soon appear before the Theunissen court again to be charged with attempted murder.
In December, two cousins were reportedly walking there when a passerby approached them about a baby lying under a tree.
The two men went to investigate and found a little boy who appeared to be only a few days old. The baby was wearing a beige baby suit with a gray baby hat and was wrapped in a gray fleece blanket with white dots.
They brought the baby home for safety and immediately alerted the police and Theunissen emergency medical services when heavy rain was approaching.
More than 10,000 babies are abandoned in South Africa every year, the vast majority of whom are found dead, according to Baby Savers South Africa, a national coalition of organizations working to end unsafe baby abandonment.
“We encourage mothers who feel unfit to care for their babies to leave them in care facilities and with organizations like Door of Hope Childrens’ Missions, rather than resorting to unsafe abandonment,” said Nadine Grabham, director and co-founder of Baby Savers.
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