Gauteng dept to assist with Benoni bus baby's funeral

The twins were delivered to Malawian Mercy Ndlovu, 21, after the bus she was travelling to Malawi on broke down on the Tom Jones Road off-ramp in Benoni. Paramedics were called to the scene and helped deliver the babies. File picture: Supplied

The twins were delivered to Malawian Mercy Ndlovu, 21, after the bus she was travelling to Malawi on broke down on the Tom Jones Road off-ramp in Benoni. Paramedics were called to the scene and helped deliver the babies. File picture: Supplied

Published Jun 6, 2016

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Johannesburg - The funeral of baby Jones Ndlovu, one of the twins born on a bus in Benoni last week, will be held on Tuesday.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development said it was taking care of the arrangements and that an undertaker had offered his services.

Department spokesman Mbangwa Xaba said it was also assisting the rest of the family members.

“Little Tom, who is being called Ndlovu 2 by doctors, is in Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg and doing well. He weighs only 1.3kg and is jaundiced, but he is being treated for that,” he said.

Jones, referred to as Ndlovu 1 by doctors, died on Friday.

The twins were delivered to Malawian Mercy Ndlovu, 21, who was seven months pregnant and on a bus travelling to Malawi. The bus broke down on the Tom Jones Road off-ramp in Benoni. The driver abandoned the bus, leaving the passengers stranded.

Paramedics were called to the scene and helped deliver the babies, who they nicknamed “Tom” and “Jones”.

The bus was hired from a Durban man to take about 38 passengers to Malawi.

The trip’s organiser, Brave Ndlovu, told The Star on Friday that after being stranded at the roadside for several days, the Malawian consulate stepped in and arranged alternative transport.

The Salvation Army took care of the group after their plight was exposed.

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The Star

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