Police in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province have arrested a hospital cleaner after she was found carrying a bag filled with human placentas.
The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Rose Mnisi, was allegedly looking for potential buyers for the body tissues when security officers intercepted her following a tip-off. Police confirmed she works in the maternity ward of a local hospital.
“Upon being approached by police, the woman was caught with human tissues,” authorities said in a statement. “She confirmed that she is a cleaner in the maternity ward.”
Mnisi was reportedly hitchhiking to Nelspruit when she was stopped by officers on routine patrol in Lydenburg (Mashishing). The bag of placentas was confiscated and sent for forensic analysis.
She appeared in court on Thursday on charges of illegal possession of human tissue and is due back in court next month for a bail hearing. Police say additional charges could follow as investigations continue.
While the intended use of the placentas remains unclear, some believe they have medicinal or ritual value. In South Africa, several killings and mutilations have been linked to the use of human body parts in traditional practices.
Earlier this month, a Mozambican traditional healer was charged in Tshwane after being found with human remains linked to the 2023 murder of a young woman whose body parts had been removed.
