By Mapaballo Borotho

- A newborn baby girl was rescued after being found abandoned inside a plastic bag in an open veld in Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
- JMPD officers responded after members of the public reported hearing a baby crying and rushed the infant to the Hillbrow Clinic, where she was declared healthy.
- Police have opened a child abandonment case and are appealing for information about the baby’s mother.
An abandoned newborn baby was rescued from an open veld in Johannesburg’s inner city earlier this week.
The infant was rescued by three officers from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Rea Vaya Unit.
On Monday, 13 July 2026, at approximately 23:43, JMPD Rea Vaya Unit officers were conducting routine route patrols and station visits near the intersection of Saratoga Avenue and Hadfield Street in Doornfontein.
The officers were alerted by two members of the public who reported hearing a baby crying in a nearby open veld, prompting them to immediately investigate.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the officers found a baby girl, dressed in baby clothes, who had been placed inside a plastic bag and abandoned.
“Officers Maseko JM, De Jager MV, and Malivha NS immediately secured the infant and requested emergency medical services. The baby was rushed to the Hillbrow Clinic, where medical staff examined her and declared her to be a healthy baby girl,” said Fihla.
The infant has since been placed in temporary care at a registered welfare facility.
Law enforcement authorities are calling on anyone with information about the mother or the circumstances surrounding the incident to contact the police.
A criminal case of child abandonment has been opened by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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