CT NGO urges mothers thinking of relinquishing parental rights not to leave their babies for dead

In South Africa, abandoning a child is a criminal offence.

A local childcare NGO is calling on new mothers who want to relinquish their parental rights, not to leave their babies for dead.

The call comes after the bodies of three babies were found in separate cases over the past two weeks.

In the latest incident, the body of a newborn was found near Parkwood along the M5 on Monday morning.

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CEO for Hannah’s Place of Safety said it was also concerning that many of the babies in their care suffered from substance abuse withdrawal.

"And so, the withdrawal process is very similar to an adult when they're going through the process. It's lots of tremors and shakes and sweats and lots of crying. And they're helpless, you know. They really can't help themselves."

Fabe added that reunification was possible if mothers were willing to join rehabilitation programmes. 

"My encouragement is always to the mom to try and get help and sort their lives out. If at that particular meeting they say that they really want help, I will make sure that the social worker is going to get that mom into a programme and get the necessary help and try to heal the family so that she can basically get her baby back."