A man was arrested in central Pretoria for carrying the body of a newborn baby in a plastic bag, Gauteng police said on Friday.
“The homeless man said he was actually going through rubbish (on Thursday night) to see if he could get some food and saw a plastic bag which felt quite heavy,” spokeswoman Wanda Olivier said.
She said the man, 45, thought it was meat and did not open the bag. He carried it to his sleeping place and told some people they should join him for dinner as he had found some food.
When he opened the bag, he realised it was actually the body of a baby boy. The people around him alerted the police and he was arrested on the corner of Bloed and Paul Kruger streets.
Olivier said a murder case had been opened, but this could possibly be changed to an inquest.
Police were searching for the baby's mother. - Sapa