Community P. contributes on Mandela Day
24 July 2015
Abandoned baby girl found alive
This newborn infant was found abandoned on Saturday, 18 July. Photo supplied Lizzy Bapela An abandoned infant was found in a refuse bag on Saturday, 18 July. The baby, who still had her umbilical cord attached, was found wrapped in a towel and hidden in a refuse bag. She was found in the bedroom window of a home in Mazakhela, where she had apparently been abandoned by her
mother. Police believe that the towel used to wrap the baby is the same towel that the mother used during the birth, and are hoping that this will help identify her. It is believed that the unknown mother may have made use of the distraction offered by a funeral at the residence next door to place the infant. The residents, who have asked not to be named, say that they heard a baby crying at around 21:00 upon
searching for the source, found the abandoned baby at their own home. They phoned the police who removed the child to a place of safety. She appears to be in good health and seems to have taken no physical harm from the incident. Police have asked for any information that might help discover the mother of this infant, and investigations as to her identity are still continuing.
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Beware of the mall mugger Justin Steyn One of the victims of an unknown man who has been attacking pedestrians spoke to The BEAT. “I was travelling home from work one night with four other women when I was grabbed by a tall dark figure,” the woman, who asked not to be named, said. “I was hit on the head with a hammer several times and when I resisted I was hit on my arm.” The woman was attacked on Tuesday, 7 July, while walking home from the Bela Mall. Several other attacks have been reported near the R516 in an area often frequented by pedestrians on their way home. She said that her friends ran off to look for help while she tried to fend off her attacker. “He quickly grabbed my purse and cellphone and ran off. By the time my friends returned it was too late and the man disoppeared.” The victim said that she reported the incident to the local police before going to
the Bela-Bela hospital where she was treated for her wounds. “I went to Hammanskraal as I was too traumatized to come back to Bela-Bela. When I returned I was anxious and now I fear an attack at my home,” she said. Two other women were attacked at the same spot on Sunday, 19 and Monday, 20 July. Lieutenant-Colonel Abel Phetla of the Bela-Bela Police said that they have a suspect, and an arrest is expected soon. He said the victims of the attacks are employees of retail stores at the Bela Mall and were all attacked on their way home. He advised residents to walk in large groups in the industrial area, or to use transport to help them return home safely. “This has become a serious problem. Employees are scared of going to work for fear of this person. A suspect has been identified and an arrest will be made soon,” Phetla said.
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I was hit on the head with a hammer
This woman was struck on the head with a hammer during a robbery. She is one of the victims of the unknown man who has been robbing pedestrians near the R516. Photo: Justin Steyn