Dumped baby postmortem delayed

Postmortem results on a baby found abandoned and naked inside a cement pipe on a dumpsite are still not available – even though his mother is due in court on Thursday.

The baby boy, found naked and crying about 30m from Malinga Street on September 20, died four days later.

Hours before the mother was due to appear in court for bail on Thursday, police confirmed that the postmortem had not yet been performed.

Police maintain that several attempts to obtain the results from the mortuary have failed.

The baby died more than a week ago, on September 24, while receiving treatment at Dora Nginza Hospital.

On Wednesday, police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed that the New Brighton state mortuary had not yet done the postmortem.

The child’s mother, Asanda Pityana, 26, was arrested on the day the baby was discovered. She was found at a friend’s house nearby.

At the time, angry residents joined in the search for Pityana, threatening to take the law into their own hands should they find her before the police.

Pityana, who remains in custody, is due to appear in the Motherwell magistrate’s court on Thursday for a bail application.

The postmortem results would be needed during the bail hearing.

Asked how Pityana could apply for bail at this point, Naidu referred questions to the state mortuary.

Pityana was at first charged with child abandonment and attempted murder.

After the baby’s death the charge was changed to murder.

Attempts to obtain comment from state mortuary officials failed.