A 29-year-old Zimbabwean woman who is accused of drowning her newly born baby girl in a 20-litre bucket of boiling water in South Africa will stand for trial on 14 May at the Brits Magistrates Court in Gauteng province.
Wendy Tapiwa Chipo of Rietfonten was remanded in custody after she abandoned her bail application. She is facing a murder charge.
National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson for North Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the offence was committed on 16 March. She said:
It is alleged that Chipo tried to abort her baby, when that failed and the baby came out alive, she dipped her in a 20-litre bucket of boiling water.
She then put the body in a plastic bag. Together with her friend, they went to bury the baby at a bush near where she stays in Sunnyway Village in Rietfonten.
Mahanjana said the matter came to light on 17 March when the friend who could no longer keep the secret reported the matter to the police.
She also took the police to the shallow grave and the remains were recovered.
Chipo was arrested a day later while on the run to Pretoria.