Fear Grips Community As Dead Woman Gives Birth In Coffin

A South African community has been witness to an unprecedented phenomenon leaving its members in fear as a dead woman gave birth in her coffin.

The bizarre “coffin birth” has left some people crying witchcraft after a deceased 33-year-old mother of five‚ Nomveliso Nomasonto Mdoyi‚ of Mthayisi village near Mbizana‚ gave birth.

This was discovered by funeral parlour staff 10 days after her death‚ on the eve of her funeral.

Staff at the parlour in Mbizana‚ were left traumatised by the incident.

Lindokuhle Funeral parlour owner Fundile Makalana said: “We were so shocked and frightened that we did not even have time to look at the sex of the baby. I have been in the business for more than 20 years and I have never heard of a dead woman giving birth.”

Both the stillborn infant and the mother were buried in one big coffin on Saturday.

The deceased woman’s mother‚ Mandzala Mdoyi‚ 76‚ said her daughter died suddenly after becoming short of breath at her home. She was nine months pregnant at the time.

Family spokesman Mbikelwa Mpithi said they would consult both medical experts and sangomas to found out more about the birth after death.

The Daily Dispatch newspaper spoke to a number of medical specialists who said a foetus could be expelled from a mother’s body as a result of the contraction and relaxation of muscles during death and later as bacteria began to cause changes in the body.