A South African mother has been arrested alongside two other people for allegedly attempting to sell her newborn twins, local media report.

She is alleged to be a drug addict and the attempted sale of the babies was in order to "satisfy her drug addiction", Yolisa Mgolodela, a police spokesman, is quoted as saying.

The five-day-old twin girls were taken to hospital as they were "dehydrated and severely malnourished", police said.

The suspects are expected to appear in court to answer charges of human trafficking on Monday.