Two newborns stolen from Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha

Two women snatched two premature babies from Dora Nginza Hospital on Tuesday night, 20 May 2025, and disappeared, triggering a full-scale manhunt in Gqeberha.

A security guard attempted to stop the suspects as they entered the maternity ward with a bag, but staff mistook them for breastfeeding mothers.

One of the women slipped past the guard and entered the nursery with the same bag.

GQEBERHA NEWBORNS STOLEN AT DORA NGINZA HOSPITAL

The Eastern Cape Health Department said CCTV footage later captured her leaving through a different door. After reviewing the footage, hospital management alerted the police, who have since opened a criminal case.

Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa condemned the breach and ordered an internal investigation. She called on the Gqeberha community to help locate the babies.

According to SAPS, the mother of the one infant left her baby in the Premature Unit (PREM) of the maternity ward after breastfeeding at approximately 18:55. When she returned at around 20:30 to feed the child again, she discovered he was missing.

The second mother later arrived and found that her baby was also missing from the ward. The first infant is four days old, while the second is two days old.

EASTERN CAPE HEALTH MEC CONDEMNS INCIDENT

“We are providing essential services to our communities, and hospitals should not be targets of criminal elements,” she said.

The department says attacks on hospitals in Gqeberha are rising. It spends millions annually on private security. In response to ongoing threats, officials have boosted security with new technologies across facilities.