01 Jun 2021

 Police in Jwaneng are investigating an incident in which a 24-year-old woman of Maokane allegedly dumped her foetus into a pit latrine on Saturday. 

Jwaneng Police Station Commander, Superintendent Thuso Basuti said the matter was reported to them on Sunday. “An anonymous person informed us that they saw the accused suspiciously flat-stomached although she knew her to be pregnant. We followed the tip and interrogated the woman,” he said. 

Superintendent Basuti said the woman explained that in the wee hours of Saturday when she went to the toilet, something that cried like a baby fell into the pit latrine. 

He said the woman, who claimed she did not even know she was pregnant, did not tell anyone about the strange occurrence at the toilet. 

Superintendent Basuti said her reasoning raised suspicions because she had four other children and was therefore experienced with pregnancy. 

He said they broke down the pit latrine to retrieve the foetus which looked lifeless. The foetus is awaiting a post-mortem at the hospital while the woman is also at the hospital recovering. 

 “We have charged her with concealment of birth while awaiting the post-mortem report. Should the report indicate that the foetus was alive, then the charge sheet would likely change to murder,” he explained. 

Meanwhile, Superintendent Basuti has cautioned motorists who use the A2 road, especially between Kanye and Jwaneng, to be cautions when travelling at night as the road had a lot of cattle. 

“There are a lot of cattle posts around the road and this leads to a lot of them roaming around the road reserve. Caution is necessary especially at night,” he said.  

Superintendent Basuti said a 34-year-old man died on the road Friday in a head-on collision after swerving onto oncoming vehicles in an attempt to avoid a cow. 

He said the man, who was with a seven-year-old boy, was certified dead upon arrival at the hospital while the boy sustained a fracture on the right leg. 

He said the driver of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries.ends