A 51-year-old grandmother was arrested for allegedly helping her 32-year-old daughter bury two newborn babies in shallow graves in their home’s yard.

According to police spokesperson Brenda Muridili, the investigation began after community members alerted authorities about a woman who had given birth but failed to register the babies at the Department of Home Affairs.

“The Department of Health and the police followed up on the concealment of birth reports,” Muridili stated. “Preliminary findings revealed the 32-year-old mother had given birth to triplets.”

The horrific details state that one of the babies was stillborn, while another passed away two days after birth. Muridili alleged, “Upon giving birth, the 32-year-old woman, with assistance from her 51-year-old mother, buried the stillborn baby in a shallow grave in their yard. Two days later the second baby died and he was also buried in a shallow grave.”

Shockingly, the remains of the two babies, a boy and a girl, were later exhumed from the property and transported to the government mortuary. The 32-year-old mother and her remaining baby are currently hospitalized and receiving medical care.

The grandmother now faces charges of concealment of birth and defeating the ends of justice. Muridili confirmed, “A postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of the two babies’ deaths.”

Community members expressed horror at the grisly incident. One neighbour, wishing to remain anonymous, said “It’s unconscionable to bury babies like that in your own yard. I can’t imagine what drove them to such deplorable acts.”