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Baby Relebohile is buried at last

IN TEARS: Thandi Ndlovu at her baby's funeral. Pic. Mhlaba MEmela. 17/08/08. © Sowetan.
IN TEARS: Thandi Ndlovu at her baby's funeral. Pic. Mhlaba MEmela. 17/08/08. © Sowetan.

Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

Residents of the Swapo informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg came out in numbers to pay their last respects to two-month-old Relebohile Ndlovu, who was laid to rest at Mountain Rise Cemetery this weekend.

Relebohile died when his mother, Thandi Ndlovu, 32, went to the Copsville satellite police station to seek help on July 29.

She alleges the inspector on duty that night called an ambulance but demanded sex from her while she was waiting for it.

Relebohile died in his mother's arms in the reception area of the police station.

The inspector's alleged advances lasted for about an hour while the grieving mother held her sick baby in her arms. When the paramedics arrived they declared Relebohile dead.

It is alleged the police officer continued to demand sex while Ndlovu was waiting for a mortuary vehicle.

She then had to wait three weeks to bury her baby since she had no money for the funeral.

The Edendale Funeral Service eventually undertook to bury the child.

Agitated women at the funeral said of the police inspector: "He does not even deserve to be called a man. Real men have ubuntu (humanity)."

Ndlovu had reported the matter and the policeman was arrested after an identification parade.

He officer is out on R1000 bail and is due to appear in the Pietermaritzburg magistrate's court on September 10.

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