Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of suspected infanticide after the severed legs of a newly born baby were found dumped on the side of the road in Barbourfields suburb.
The shocking discovery was made by a resident a few metres from her gate on Monday last week and she immediately alerted the police.
“On the 27th of July 2020 at around 7 am an informant went outside the house, and as she was approaching the gate she saw two lower limbs of a newborn baby about one and a half meters outside the gate and made a report at Barbourfields police station,” said Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube
A team from the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) homicides section was dispatched to the scene and observed that the limbs were both cut above the knees.
He added that while at the scene police officers received more information which led to the discovery of a shopping bag with blood stains near a railway line.
“Whilst at the scene, the police officers received information that there was a bag with blood stains along a footpath near the railway line about two hundred metres from Luveve road flyover,” Insp Ncube added.
“Police officers reacted to the information and found an MTN yellow shopping bag with bloodstains. Inside the shopping bag were a small mirror and a placenta.”
Insp Ncube also revealed that the body parts were taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post mortem while investigations are still ongoing.
“Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the accused person may contact ZRP Barbourfields on 214095 or any nearest police station,” said Insp Ncube.
