A woman has been apprehended after allegedly kidnapping a newborn baby from Mpilo Central Hospital on September 10th. The suspect, identified as Anita Khumalo, reportedly took the infant while the teenage mother was searching for transportation to return home after giving birth at the hospital.
According to Bulawayo spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube, Khumalo traveled with the baby to her rural home in Ntabazinduna. However, her aunt became suspicious and contacted the police. The complainant, an 18-year-old from Nyamandlovu, was at the maternity ward of Mpilo Central Hospital with another patient who had also recently given birth. Khumalo offered to assist them with the process and offered transportation from the hospital to the Renkini bus terminus, where they were planning to travel to their rural home.
Inspector Ncube explained that Khumalo, the complainant, and her friend left the hospital premises and boarded a white Honda Fit, the registration number of which is currently unknown. The vehicle had been hired by Khumalo. They proceeded to the Renkini bus terminus, where they inquired about transport and were directed to the terminus located at 3rd Avenue and Lobengula Street.
Subsequently, Khumalo and the teenage victim walked to Lobengula Street, with Khumalo carrying the baby. Khumalo then sent the unsuspecting complainant to check for transportation to Nyamandlovu inside the terminus while she remained behind, standing under a tree shed at the bus terminus. When the complainant returned after approximately 10 minutes, she discovered that Khumalo and the baby were nowhere to be found. Despite her efforts to locate them, she was unsuccessful. A police report was filed.
The following day, Khumalo arrived at her rural home in Ntabazinduna with the child, where she encountered her aunt. The aunt asked about the baby’s birth weight, to which Khumalo claimed she did not know. Khumalo then handed her aunt the health card issued by the hospital. The aunt noticed that the name of the child’s mother on the health card did not match the name of the accused. Consequently, she took Khumalo and the baby to a clinic for verification. Clinic staff conducted investigations, which revealed that the newborn had been delivered at Mpilo Hospital on September 9th. The kidnapping had taken place on September 10th, leading to Khumalo’s arrest by the police.
Inspector Ncube advised mothers not to entrust the care of their babies to strangers and expressed gratitude to Khumalo’s aunt for her assistance in apprehending the suspect. Khumalo is expected to appear in court in due course.
