Three babies a week are found dead on Pretoria’s Onderstepoort rubbish dump by waste recyclers, who are confronted by the sight of the bones of many other infants, crushed by waste-compacting machines.

Police and non-government organisations report an alarming increase in the numbers of illegal, late-term abortions, concealments of birth, and even the murder of babies in poor areas around Pretoria North.

The police believe that the dead babies come from areas including the suburb of Wolmer, the informal settlement of De Klerk’s Oord, and the townships of Mabopane, Soshanguve, and Mamelodi.

Neville Manjiama, a member of a community project who sifts through the landfill site for recyclable material, which he sells, says the sight is horrific.

“The recyclers often find bits of broken bones. And we find at least two to three babies here a week,” he said.

When asked where the newborn babies are found, he points to black refuse bags that have been through rubbish crushers but have not been compacted into the landfill site. [Read Full Story]