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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
POLICE in Bulawayo are searching for a woman who dumped the body of her new-born baby girl wrapped in a plastic bag at the Bulawayo Polytechnic. Authorities at the institution on Wednesday called the police after a resident at the staff quarters discovered the dead baby while burning rubbish at the college dumpsite.

When our news crew arrived at the college in the afternoon, scores of students and workers were flocking to the dumpsite to catch a glimpse of the horrific discovery.

A security officer was manning the dumpsite while waiting for the police to collect the half-burnt body. The security officer, who declined to be named, said she suspected that the body was dumped on Tuesday night. She added: “The body is still fresh. I’m sure the mother strangled the baby soon after giving birth before dumping the body here yesterday or early this morning.

“One of the residents at the staff quarters was burning garbage at the dumpsite this morning and discovered the body. It was wrapped in a plastic bag. We were called to the scene and we poured water on the body to protect it from further damage.” Some students said they suspected that the dead baby was dumped on Tuesday night after they saw three female students loitering at the sports field near the dumpsite.

One student who identified himself only as Brian said: “Our hostel is close to the staff quarters. I was drinking with a group of friends outside the hostel at about 9PM and we saw three female students loitering around the sports field. Unfortunately there was no electricity.

“We used car lights to brighten up the area as we tried to see what was happening but they immediately vanished. I suspect that the ladies that we saw here last night dumped the baby.” Other students, however, said the baby could have been dumped by an outsider who wanted to throw police off the scent, so that investigators concentrate on students during their investigations.

The students said they were willing to help the police to bring the culprit to book. “This is the worst thing that a human being can do. When someone does not want their baby there’re always other options rather than killing the baby and throwing it away like trash,” said one student who gave her name only as Angela.

“We’ll keep our ears and eyes open and report any suspicious people. We want the culprit to be brought to book so that such a thing does not happen again.”

The Bulawayo Polytechnic Principal, Gilbert Mabasa was not available for comment.

Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said: “A newborn baby’s body was discovered at Bulawayo Polytechnic.

“The body sustained burns on several parts of the body. Police attended the scene and the body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).

“We’re treating this as baby dumping case and we’ve started investigations.

“I would like to appeal to members of the public who have information that will lead to the arrest of the mother of the baby to report to any police station.”