Miracle rescue of newborn baby boy
Infant buried alive saved after muted cries alert church steward
When Methodist Church steward Mbuyiselo Manyonga set off to find the source of the muffled cries he heard while preparing for Sunday service, he thought there was a cat in distress.
However, what he found buried in a shallow grave inside an incomplete building next to the church was not someone’s pet, but a newborn baby boy.
The shocking discovery was made at the Methodist Church in Dikeni village in Cala shortly before the 10am service on Sunday.
The baby, found with his umbilical cord still attached, is in a stable condition at Indwe Hospital.
His mother is not known. Manyonga said yesterday he had arrived at the church at about 9.30am on Sunday.
“I arrive early to open the doors and to have a moment of prayer,” he said.
“I heard a cry, which I assumed was a cat, but the cries kept on from time to time and I was concerned.”
Manyonga initially thought the sound came from the pulpit, but found nothing. Two other church members arrived and also heard the cries.
“We were curious because it was consistent.
“We kept searching around the main church building and then moved to the partly constructed extension.”
The incomplete building has two entry points without doors, and glassless windows.
It does have a roof, however. Inside, they heard the cries again; this time louder.
“We used a mop handle to move the metal sheet and the blocks that were holding it down, while we kept our distance as we felt nervous about what we were about to find,” Manyonga said.
“We were shocked when we uncovered the baby.
“He was stark naked and covered in dirt.”
They called residents to the scene.
“Women in the community rushed to bring warm blankets and warm water to bathe the baby while we waited for an ambulance.
“Our church is close to the community but we do not know who the mother is.”
Manyonga said they also found the mother’s placenta in the hole, and believe she may have given birth in the building.
Fellow steward Frank Qani said: “I am shocked that we found the baby in such a condition. I arrived after Manyonga on Sunday.
“The baby was crying when we found him. We did not continue with the church service.”
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the baby arrived at hospital with bruises and covered in soil, weighing 2.24kg.
“The department strongly condemns this barbaric act and calls on law enforcement to ensure justice is served,” Kupelo said.
The baby was cleaned, warmed up and fed.
“The baby is in a stable condition,” Kupelo said.
“Hospital staff have raised money to buy clothes and nappies.”
Kupelo said the department had programmes aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies.
“We distribute condoms and offer family planning services in all our clinics.
“The live burial or killing of newborns cannot be justified.
“Poverty should not be used as an excuse for those who choose to kill innocent babies.”
Khula Development Trust activist Petros Majola said they had learnt of the baby’s discovery with shock and disappointment.
“It is unusual for a woman to go through a nine-month pregnancy and the pains of birth, and still think of killing the infant.
“There are options if they cannot keep the baby — they can opt for adoption. Instead of attempting to kill a baby, rather seek professional help from social workers.”
Manyonga said the community was on high alert, looking for the mother.
Social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta condemned the abandonment of babies instead of involving social workers.
“The department has acted swiftly and ensured assessment of the matter for appropriate intervention.
“As such, the child [upon discharge from hospital] will be placed in a registered child and youth care centre.
“This will be followed by a more sustainable alternative care option that will bring stability and permanency to the child through exploring familybased alternative care placement options like foster care and adoption.”
She said the department encouraged people to approach social workers who were available across the province’s eight districts if they were unable to care for their children or babies.
“The Eastern Cape has 27 registered and funded NPOs for child and youth care centres that are all positioned to receive, admit and care for children who need it, including abandoned children,” Fanta said.