A 28-year-old mother from Limpopo, Itumeleng Baloi, is pleading for justice and answers after a traumatic experience that has left her emotionally shattered. What should have been a sorrowful yet respectful farewell to her stillborn baby turned into a nightmarish ordeal when she later discovered that she had buried the wrong child — a baby that was not hers.
The incident took place at Matlala Hospital, where Itumeleng delivered her stillborn baby. Grieving and devastated, she accepted the child provided by the hospital for burial. However, her world was turned upside down when she was informed that the baby she laid to rest was not her own, but rather an abandoned infant reportedly born to a Zimbabwean woman. The revelation has triggered a wave of emotional distress, confusion, and unanswered questions.
Now, Itumeleng is demanding that DNA tests be conducted to uncover the truth about the baby she buried and to locate the remains of her actual child. “I need to know who I buried. Where is my real baby?” she asks, her voice filled with anguish. The pain of uncertainty has deeply affected her mental health. She shared that she cries constantly, hears baby voices at night, and is unable to fully care for her 5-year-old daughter due to the overwhelming trauma.
Adding to her distress is the lack of emotional support from the hospital. Itumeleng claims that no counselling or psychological help was offered to her. Instead, she was told to seek private assistance and carry the financial burden herself — despite the mistake being the hospital’s.
Her family also raised alarms early on. They reportedly noticed discrepancies with the body they were given but say their concerns were ignored by hospital staff. Now, they too are calling for accountability and action. They want the hospital to exhume the graves and carry out DNA testing to determine the identity of the baby that was buried.
“This situation has brought endless pain to our family. We need closure. We need to know what happened,” said a family member.
The case has raised serious questions about hospital procedures and the treatment of grieving mothers. Should hospitals not ensure that every baby — even in death — is properly identified and handled with the utmost care? And should families be left to suffer in silence when such grave errors occur?
Itumeleng’s tragic story has sparked public outrage and sympathy, with many South Africans using social media to demand justice under the hashtag **#JusticeForItumeleng**. Calls are growing louder for Matlala Hospital to be held accountable, and for the Department of Health to investigate the matter thoroughly.
As the young mother seeks peace, she holds onto hope that the truth will come to light — and that no other mother will have to endure such heartbreak again.
