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Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
CASES of baby dumping are on the increase in Bulawayo and residents said this is a cause for concern.
Police have also bemoaned an upsurge in cases of baby dumping, infanticide and termination of pregnancy.
In the last six months, police recorded about six cases of baby dumping in the city with the latest incident involving a six-month-old baby who was dumped outside a gate at a house in Cowdray Park suburb.
Last month, two abandoned babies were picked in open spaces in Matshobana and Pumula South suburbs. A passer-by who was walking from work in the early hours of the morning found a two-weeks old infant dumped along a railway line in Matshobana suburb on November 12.
The following day at around 9am, a passer-by who was on her way to church heard a baby crying from a pit in Pumula South. She rescued the infant who was shoved inside a plastic bag.
In interviews, residents expressed concern over the trend and urged police to conduct awareness campaigns in communities.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) secretary for administration, Mr Thembelani Dube said is it is a worrying trend, which seeks collective efforts to address it.
He attributed this to lack of family support structures and reckless behaviour, especially among youths.
“We are getting many cases of unplanned pregnancies as girls are indulging in unprotected sex which usually happens when people are intoxicated. The men responsible usually disown the pregnancies forcing the girls to either illegally terminate the pregnancies or dump the newborn babies,” said Mr Dube.
He said the situation was worsened by lack of family support structures leading to post-natal depression. Mr Stanslous Dube, the chairperson of the residents’ association in Ward 9 said there is a need for Government to intervene by educating communities on how to deal with unplanned pregnancies.
“Families, communities, non-governmental organisations and Government should partner and educate young women on the dangers of indulging in sex which lead to unplanned pregnancies. Sex education should be taught in schools, churches and communities,” he said.
Mr Dube said such interventions will help to reduce unplanned pregnancies which force girls or women to dump babies.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Mr Simon Masanga said there is a need to find ways of reducing cases of baby dumping.
“We do not condone the practice of abandoning newborn babies but we have to accept that it is happening in our communities. We need to find ways of addressing this problem as communities, Government and non- governmental organisations,” he said.
He said Government on its part was supporting programmes such as foster care, adoption and relative care support as a way of taking care of abandoned children or victims of unwanted pregnancies.
Mr Masanga said every child deserves the support of a family when facing challenges such as unwanted pregnancy.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Insp Abednico Ncube called on women to use contraceptives to avoid falling pregnant.
“The increase in cases of baby dumping, birth concealment, termination of pregnancy and other cases involving newborn babies, is very disturbing. As police we urge women to avoid unwanted pregnancies,” he said.
Insp Ncube said in the event that one finds herself in trouble as a result of pregnancy or child birth, she must seek assistance or advice from fellow family members, church or community leaders or the police victim friendly unit. — @Sagepapie14
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