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From bullets and batons to a Google-assisted birth, two police officers, Sergeant Itumeleng Motalane and Constable Tilane Lebitsa, have shown their commitment by delivering a baby near the Bethal SAPS police station gate.
Taking place on Monday, 19 April 2021, Police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli explains, a member of the public at the Community Service Centre noticed a heavily pregnant woman walking near the police station crying for help. This was when the gentleman alerted Sergeant Motalane of the situation.
Motalane, together with a few male colleagues, immediately dropped everything they were doing, rushed outside, and found the 35-year-old woman with her husband and sister. “The woman was screaming due to excruciating labour pains. Noticing that she was about to give birth, Motalane, who at that time was joined by Constable Lebitsa, acted as midwives and assisted the woman deliver her fourth healthy baby boy,” said Colonel Mdhluli.
Discussing the unforeseen event, Sergeant Motalane explains, ” My male colleagues in the Community Service Centre told me that I was the only one to help the woman deliver her baby. My only fear was that I have never been confronted with this type of challenge before, as all my four children, were born at the hospital.”
After the child’s birth, the Sergeant faced a strange problem, “My other challenge was the umbilical cord that hooked the mother and the baby, I had no idea how to separate them. I used my phone to Google for home birth information with specific reference to the umbilical cord. After sourcing information, I then succeeded but had to rush to the CSC to search for something to tie it with. Luckily, I got a shoelace which I sanitised and tied the umbilical cord.”
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Major General Thulani Phahla, said,” What brave soldiers we pride ourselves with. I really commend the members for going the extra mile in helping the woman to safely give birth to her baby. Police are often faced with strange and difficult situations but what we have realised is that, they are always equal to the task.”
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