NKURENKURU - The Kavango West police are investigating a case of a 10-day-old baby who was buried without a death certificate nor the authorities being notified. The baby allegedly died at home in the presence of her 21-year-old mother.

Kavango West police commander Josephat Abel said the baby was not supposed to be buried without notifying the police of her death.

“Information was received from an informer that there is a child who died at home at Matava village, and the informer confirmed that the deceased’s next of kin arranged for burial. They thus buried her without reporting the incident to the police,” Abel noted. 

“We are waiting for the magistrate to give us a directive whether to make arrests or what to do next,” he added. Abel told New Era that follow-ups on the matter were conducted. Through their investigations, it was confirmed that the baby passed away on Tuesday this week at around 14h00 at Matava village, and was buried on the same day at around 16h00 at the Matava cemetery. 

The deceased baby was born on 17 December at the Tondoro Health Centre at 01h26 without “any complications”, but was not yet named. “Prior to the deceased’s death, the mother indicated that during Monday night while sleeping, a witch came into her room and sucked on her breast. When she breastfed her baby on the same breast, the baby started crying. She thus decided to carry her baby on her back, and the child passed away while on her mother’s back,” Abel narrated their preliminary findings.