A 32-year-old Zimbabwean woman from Mberengwa village outside Beit Bridge, who allegedly felt she was too ill and was going to die soon, decided to throw her prematurely born baby into a Blair toilet five days after giving birth.

Tendai Dube, who appeared in court on Monday, facing a charge of infanticide, told the court in mitigation that she felt that no-one would be able to take care of her child after her death, hence the decision to terminate the infant’s life. Dube also said she also could not bear the fact that she had given birth to a "pale child".

The case was postponed to 21 November for sentencing.

The court heard that on 22 September this year, Dube gave birth to a premature baby boy at the hospital in Masvingo.  She was later transferred to a local hospital, where she was admitted for four days. She and her baby were later discharged. When she left the hospital, Dube went to a local craft centre where she then wrapped the baby in a brown fleece cloth and threw it in a Blair toilet.

The court heard that a few days later local residents were later disturbed by a bad smell that was coming from the toilet and notified the police. The police later investigated and retrieved the body of the baby, which was now at an advanced state of decomposition. Further investigations led to the arrest of Dube.