21-year-old maid arrested for “stoning” newborn, hiding body in toilet

A 21-year-old woman from Chipinge has been arrested for allegedly killing her newborn baby by throwing it into a toilet pit.

Police say Irine Lucia Simango, of Chako Village under Chief Mutema, gave birth inside a toilet at her employer’s homestead.

Manicaland acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident to Masvingo Mirror.

Simango works as a maid for Charles Muyaza, 66, of Mudzimwa Village.

It is alleged that on 15 August 2026 at around 9 pm, Simango went into the toilet after feeling labour pains and gave birth to a live baby boy.

She allegedly threw the baby into the Blair toilet pit and dropped stones onto it, killing the infant, before going back to her bedroom to sleep.

The following morning at around 6 am, she allegedly returned to the toilet to clean up, but left some blood-stained clothes and stains behind.

Joice Muhlanga, 57, became suspicious after seeing Simango with a bucket and broom. She noticed blood and clothes in the toilet and asked Simango if she had had an abortion, which she denied.

Three days later, on 18 August, Muhlanga looked into the toilet pit with a torch and saw the body of a baby partially covered with stones.

She alerted her brother, Muyaza, who then reported the matter to the police.

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