Twenty babies dumped in Harare's sewers weekly

Sapa:

At least 20 new-born babies and foetuses are dumped in Harare's sewer system every week, Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper reported on Friday.

Its website quoted the city council as saying this frequently led to the clogging of the sewerage network.

"The situation is very serious and I think there is need for a cultural shift because some of the things that are happening now are shocking," town clerk Nomutsa Chideya said.

"Apart from upsetting the normal flow of waste to our works, it is not right from a moral standpoint."

Sand and an assortment of discarded bits and pieces, such as cooking pots and spoons, were also found among objects that frequently blocked the system.

Presenting a turnaround plan for the city on Wednesday, Chideya said officials were retrieving at least 20 bodies and foetuses weekly from both the sewerage network and treatment plants.

Some of the babies would have been flushed down toilets, and others thrown into sewer manholes.

Chideya said this came to light when council employees attended to sewer blockages or when the bodies surfaced at the city's sewerage and water treatment plants.

The Herald said cases of abortion and baby dumping have been on the increase in Harare.

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