A legal battle in the Pretoria High Court could determine the fate of South Africa’s baby saver boxes — life-saving devices credited with protecting more than 500 abandoned infants. As reported by HOT 1027 News, the initiative is now under threat after the Department of Social Development deemed the boxes illegal, arguing they strip parents of responsibility.

It all began 25 years ago with a single stainless steel box built into the wall of the Berea Baptist Church — known as the Door of Hope. The concept spread nationally through a network of “baby savers,” secure and alarmed drop-off boxes installed at churches, care centres, and homes. Co-founder Nadene Grabham says the boxes are ventilated, locked automatically, and alert a first responder within minutes.

Grabham and Baby Savers South Africa (BSSA), a coalition of 30 organisations, are now challenging the department’s stance in court. According to a recent BSSA media release, 94 infants were abandoned in 2024 alone — 56 of them found deceased. Many of these mothers, the organisation notes, were turned away from hospitals or police stations and left with no safe alternatives.

In a brief sitting this week, the Pretoria High Court postponed the matter until 25 August. The interim court order remains in place — which means the baby saver boxes may remain operational for now.

“This isn’t about stainless steel,” Grabham explains. “It’s about offering desperate mothers the one act of love they still have — a safe goodbye.”

Baby saver boxes have drawn global recognition, with similar models adopted in the USA, Germany, and Switzerland — all inspired by the South African prototype.

HOT 1027 News will continue to follow this developing story.