A 39-year-old hospital cleaner has been arrested in Mpumalanga province after being found with a bag full of human placentas, police have confirmed.
The suspect, Rose Mnisi, who works in the maternity ward of a local hospital, was allegedly seeking buyers for the human tissue when she was intercepted by security officers acting on a tip-off.
“Upon being approached by police, the woman was caught with human tissues. The woman confirmed that she is a cleaner in the maternity ward,” police said in a statement.
Mnisi was arrested while hitchhiking toward Nelspruit and was carrying several placentas in a plastic bag. The body parts have since been sent for forensic analysis.
She appeared in court on Thursday, facing charges of illegal possession of human tissue. Police said more charges could follow as investigations continue.
Mnisi is expected back in court next month for a bail hearing.
Authorities have not disclosed what the placentas were intended for, but in some communities, human body parts are linked to traditional rituals, while others claim without scientific evidence that consuming placentas can boost breast milk production or reduce postnatal depression.
The case comes just weeks after a Mozambican traditional healer was arrested in Tshwane with human body parts linked to the brutal killing of a young woman in 2023.
BBC