As South Africans made their way to voting stations on Wednesday, two JMPD officers helped rescue an abandoned newborn baby.

Johannesburg public safety MMC spokesperson Luyanda Longwe said on Friday that two civilians approached JMPD officers Evelyn Mothibe and Nompulelo Nhlapo in Hillbrow.

“They reported what seemed to be a baby crying on the sidewalk near the Rea Vaya lane on Twist Street and Wolmarans Street in Hillbrow. The two officers immediately rushed to the scene and discovered a newborn baby boy, who had been abandoned in a plastic bag,” Longwe said.

The officers called for backup and EMS took the baby to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.

Public safety MMC Michael Sun said: “We are horrified to see how anyone can simply ‘throw away’ a baby in a plastic bag. I want to commend our two JMPD officers, Evelyn and Nompulelo, for their quick action and for saving the baby boy’s life.”

He added: “I feel that we, as government, are also responsible to investigate the reason Baby X was abandoned and offer assistance and counselling to those affected. There may be a young mother in distress who needs chronic help.”

Sun said there was a similar incident on June 26 2018. A young mother wrapped her baby in blanket and abandoned her at a bus stop, where two drivers saved her.

The mother was later arrested and charged.