Schoolgirl delivers in toilet

News
A 17-year-old Form 3 schoolgirl at Sobukhazi High School in Mzilikazi gave birth in one of the school’s toilets on Wednesday afternoon.

A 17-year-old Form 3 schoolgirl at Sobukhazi High School in Mzilikazi gave birth in one of the school’s toilets on Wednesday afternoon.

BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPODENT

Students at the school said the girl (name withheld) started bleeding and rushed to the girls’ toilets where she gave birth to a baby boy.

School authorities summoned an ambulance that ferried the girl and baby to Mpilo Central Hospital accompanied by one of the teachers.

A girl at the school said she saw her walking slowly into the girls’ toilet with her uniform soaked in blood and followed.

“When I realised that she was in serious pain I went out with the intension of reporting to the teachers, but I saw some female teachers coming in and we were chased away,” the girl said.

School was disrupted when the news filtered around the school that the girl had given birth in the toilets and authorities had a tough time trying to restore order as learners wanted to catch a glimpse of the episode.

A neighbour of the girl confirmed that the girl was taken to hospital, but he was shocked to learn that she had delivered.

“She was a quiet person and no one could suspect that she was pregnant,” he said.

“She did not show any signs of pregnancy because of her big body and because we were in winter. Students were putting on big jerseys so it was hard to tell.”

It could not be immediately established whether the girl was impregnated by a fellow learner or somebody else as students at the school said she was very reserved.

The school’s headmaster referred Southern Eye to the Bulawayo provincial education offices for comment.

Mpilo Hospital acting chief executive officer Wedu Ndebele said he had heard about the birth, but he was yet to get a full report as he was not in the office.