An unidentified mother reportedly abandoned her newly-born baby girl in the middle of the Mutare-Harare Highway.
The baby who was placed inside a plastic bag and naked was discovered by an unidentified woman who was travelling with her husband recently.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson in Manicaland Province, Inspector Norbert Muzondo confirmed the incident. He said:
The informant was travelling with her husband along the Harare-Mutare Highway going towards Rusape at around 2 AM.
Upon approaching the 180km peg, the informant saw a plastic bag lying in the middle of the road.
They immediately stopped and upon investigation, they discovered that a baby was inside the plastic bag.
Muzondo said the couple took the infant to a police roadblock at the 175km peg where they picked up a police officer.
They went to Rusape General Hospital where they handed the infant over to the hospital authorities for examinations.
Hospital authorities concluded that the baby was in stable condition and had just been delivered.
Inspector Muzondo castigated the mother of the infant for baby-dumping. He said:
What the mother did is cruel. We discourage baby dumping and we encourage would-be mothers who may fail to provide for their newly-born babies to approach organisations like the Department of Social Welfare or development partners for assistance.
There are mechanisms in place to assist parents who may not be in a position to support their children. We also applaud the Good Samaritan for a job well done.
She did exceptionally well by acting timely and making a quick reaction to ensure the safety of the baby. The philanthropic works should not go unnoticed.
More: The Manica Post