South African police are investigating the kidnapping of two male newborns from a hospital in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

The infants were taken from the premature unit at Dora Nginza Hospital on Tuesday night, according to Eastern Cape police. The alarm was raised after the babies’ mothers reported them missing.

One of the mothers discovered her baby’s incubator was empty when she arrived to breastfeed. Shortly afterwards, another woman found that her two-day-old son had also disappeared.

Police spokesperson Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed that two separate cases of kidnapping have been opened. The incidents are being investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.

“The FCS unit is investigating two cases of kidnapping following the abduction of two newborn boys from the maternity ward at Dora Nginza Hospital on the evening of Tuesday, 20 May 2025,” said Van Rensburg.

Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward, as the search for the missing infants continues.