An abandoned newborn baby boy was found dumped on a football pitch in Bulawayo’s Matshobana suburb on Saturday morning.
The infant had no clothes on but was wrapped in a blanket while his umbilical cord was still attached.
In an interview with CITE, Ward 9 Councillor Donaldson Mabutho said some women on their way to their fields on Saturday morning discovered the naked baby boy.
“The women were going to plough at their fields right next to the National Railways of Zimbabwe,” he said.
The councillor stated the women claimed that while working in their fields on Friday, they saw a young woman in her early twenties moving up and down with a baby.
“The women said they saw the young women yesterday around 11 am. She moved around for a long time until her movements made the women suspicious. The women eventually asked her what she was doing and threatened to summon other residents if she continued to move up and down. She left at that point,” Cllr Mabutho said.
Mabutho claimed the young woman appeared to be waiting for these women to leave their fields.
“We believe she returned later and dumped the baby, only wrapped in a blanket. It means the baby was there all night,” the councillor noted.
“The women then called other residents and I was then informed about the incident and made my way to the scene.”
The councillor mentioned that one of the women who spoke with the young woman on Friday told her she was staying in Njube and going to Mzilikazi.
“I believe the girl stays at either one of these places,” said Cllr Mabutho.
Some residents donated clothes for the baby.
“We then went to Matshobana Police Station, where the baby was left in the care of the Victim Friendly Unit who said they would take him to the hospital. The baby would then be taken to the Social Welfare Department,” said the councillor.
Acting Bulawayo Provincial Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, said she was yet to receive the report of the matter.
