A Mpumalanga woman was arrested and charged after her newborn baby was found dumped in a church pit toilet. The baby's cries were heard by passersby in Mkhuhlu in Mpumalanga on Sunday.

On Sunday, the community of Mkhuhlu praised Xibuti "Yellowbone" Nkosi, who is famously known for being a drunkard in the area, for rescuing the newborn baby from the pit toilet. "Never judge a book by its cover, Yellowbone is known for being someone who loves his alcohol and always drunk and singing," said the community member. According to the vllager, Yellowbone was going to a tavern to buy alcohol on Sunday morning when he heard a baby cry, he followed the sound which led him to the pit toilet. "He went inside the toilet and realised the baby was crying from the pit. He ran to the neighbour's house and asked for a spade and hammer to try and make way inside the toilet. The community came out in numbers, but nobody wanted to get inside the toilet because of the waste but he volunteered and came out with the baby alive," another community member said.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed the matter. "The suspect allegedly dumped a newborn baby boy inside a pit toilet on Sunday morning at a certain church in Ronaldsey Trust, Ximhungwe near Bushbuckridge," he said. Mdhluli further said according to information at their disposal, members of the public heard a cry of a baby from inside a pit toilet and they dug behind the pit toilet and managed to rescue the child whose umbilical cord was still attached to him. "He was then taken to hospital for treatment and the police opened a case of child neglect," Mdhluli said. Noise Mhaule (40) from Calcutta appeared before the Mkhuhlu Magistrates Court yesterday and she was remanded in custody and will appear again today for legal aid application.