A shocked domestic servant of Thohoyandou has said the grisly find of a newborn baby with only a head and an arm will linger in her mind for a long time.

Ms Sarah Makhubele, who is also a house minder at Thohoyandou P East, said she was busy speaking to a neighbour when they saw that her dog that was holding something that resembled a newborn baby.

The incident happened on Friday morning, 8 July 2011.

They were shocked to realise that the dog was feeding on the lifeless body of a baby and informed the police. The presence of the police and their vehicle attracted the curiosity of pupils who were busy with their winter lessons at the nearby Tshiluvhi Primary School.

Makhunele, who was still in a state of shock, said she had never seen something like that in her life. “The police responded quickly. The area was cordoned off and they started their enquiries about the incident,” she said.

She said they had no idea where the puppy got the body, but it seemed that it could have been found not far from their home. "We just hope police will do their work and apprehend the suspect soon, so that she can pay for her sins,” she said.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Capt Mashudu Malelo said even the police were still baffled by the gruesome find. “We know, of course, that someone had given birth and gotten rid of the baby, and we are appealing to the public to assist us in our investigations,” said Malelo. He appealed to members of the community who know of any person who was pregnant and whose pregnancy is no longer visible but has no baby, to contact them.

He said as soon as they received information about the baby, they rushed to the scene, only to be greeted by the dog and half the body of a newborn baby. “This is cruelty at its worst and we will stop at nothing to find out who the real mother is, so that she will pay for her satanic act. With the help of our community, we are confident of a speedy arrest,” he said.

He said they had opened a concealment-of-birth case and investigations were continuing.