Cops help Mpumalanga woman deliver baby by the roadside

A police constable in Mpumalanga has been applauded for “going beyond the call of duty” after she helped a woman give birth while waiting for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to arrive.

“It is reported that Constable Nelisiwe Piyose, aged 31, together with Sergeant Tebogo Nkomo, both stationed at Sakhile police station were conducting their routine patrol duties on Sunday when they noticed a pregnant woman who seemed to be in pain sitting next to the road. Constable Piyose reportedly requested her colleague to make a U-turn to check if the woman was fine,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli.

When the officers reached the woman, they found that she was “screaming due to unbearable labour pains”.

“Seeing that she was about to give birth, Piyose, who is a mother of two, acted as a midwife and helped the woman deliver a healthy baby boy. Just after the baby was born, EMS personnel arrived and took both the mother and baby to Sakhile Hospital for medical treatment,” said Mdhluli.

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga provincial commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has acknowledged Piyose’s dedication to duty and saluted her for rescuing the pregnant woman who was in a precarious situation.

“The provincial commissioner [Manamela] has commended the member for going an extra mile in helping the woman to safely give birth to her baby. The general further indicated that the member displayed a character of a true police officer and at times, members will be expected to carry out certain duties beyond their line functions,” said Mdhluli.

In April, two Mpumalanga police officers were lauded for helping another woman give birth at the entrance of their station in Bethal.

Sergeant Itumeleng Motalane and Constable Tilane Lebitsa were on duty when a community member alerted them to a woman in labour crying out for help outside the police station. They rushed to the scene and found the 35-year-old Congolese woman in the company of her husband and her 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 to deliver her fourth healthy baby boy,” Mdhluli said in a statement at the time.

“After the baby was born, the officers took the mother and her baby to Bethal Hospital for medical assessment. They were then admitted at the hospital and the child was declared healthy and strong.”

Motalane, who is also a mother of four, said although she could not find hand gloves that did not deter her from helping the woman in labour.