Zim woman dumps baby in pit latrine

A 21-year-old Zimbabwean woman suspected of dumping a 6-month-old foetus into a pit latrine after committing abortion has been arraigned before the Extension 2 Magistrate Court.Shelly Sibanda allegedly committed the offence at Notwane Farms between Gaborone and Ramotswa in December 2023.Sergeant Simon Galebonwe said investigations are still ongoing and that they are waiting for a post mortem report as well as a forensic affidavit. He asked the court to remand Sibanda in custody as she is an illegal immigrant and may skip the country.The court heard that on the day of the incident, Sibanda claimed that she was having a running stomach, and later people she was staying with heard baby cries in the pit latrine.The foetus was later retrieved from the pit latrine and taken to the hospital where it was certified dead. Extension 2 Magistrate Kamogelo Mercy said the accused will be further remanded until February 22nd 2024.On the backdrop of this case and others where pregnant women often end up harming their newly born babies, Director of Postnatal Mental Health Society of Botswana, Portia Keatametse Keatametse urged pregnant women to make a habit of seeking therapy whenever they suspect depression as some mental health issues during pregnancy are not avoidable, but can be managed with assistance. In an interview with The Midweek Sun, she said one of the factors leading to postnatal depression and other maternal mental health issues is the lack of resources to go through pregnancy and childbirth in the form of money and clothing.She said that post-natal depression is a mental health disorder that affects women after the birth of a child. It is caused by a lot of things such as family history of having mental health issues, childhood trauma, traumatic birth experiences and brain chemical imbalances.“Some of the symptoms of post-natal depression include hatred towards the child, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, feelings of deep sadness without reason, always feeling tired and being very obsessed with the child,” Keatametse said.

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Zim woman dumps baby in pit latrine