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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
A FORM Four pupil at Nemane Adventist High School in Tsholotsho secretly gave birth at school and dumped the baby in a Blair toilet.
The baby was retrieved alive on Saturday morning and the mother and baby were admitted to Tsholotsho District Hospital following the self-delivery.
Gracious Gumbo (18) from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo delivered while she was alone in the school toilets on Friday night.
It is alleged that Gumbo was impregnated by a fellow student who is a year older than her.
A teacher at the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the baby was retrieved by some teachers and community members.
“We didn’t know that Gumbo was pregnant because she hid the pregnancy from everyone, including fellow pupils. We’re only learning of it now that some girls in the school suspected her but when they tried to get the truth out of her, she denied being pregnant.
“The incident was discovered on Saturday morning when some students gave teachers a tip-off that Gumbo had left the toilet with blood stains,” said the source.
The source said when teachers called her for questioning, she denied messing the toilet with blood.
“Gumbo had become a top suspect because earlier in the night she had complained to one of the students of having stomach cramps. After intense interrogation she admitted to the bleeding but not giving birth.
“She said when she was urinating, something plunged out of her, falling into the pit. Members of staff questioned her until she revealed that she had dropped the baby into the toilet.”
A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were glad that the baby had survived.
A police source said once she is discharged from hospital, she will be charged.
“When the hospital is done with checking the baby, we will definitely arrest the mother because she is 18 and definitely knew what she was doing,” said the police source.
@winnie_masara
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