MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-A women from Ivene suburbs in Gweru who kidnapped a two-year-old girl outside Gweru Provincial Hospital, was this afternoon sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Sakhile Tanyanyiwa (34), was convicted on her own plea of guilty to kidnapping, when she appeared in court before Provincial Magistrate, Beaulity Dube.
Tanyanyiwa will however serve 12 months in prison after the presiding magistrate suspended six months for five years.
The state led by Christine Shonhiwa told the court that on the 8th of March 2024, at around 11am, Loreen Hungwe, the mother of the newborn baby, went to Gweru General Hospital to collect her child’s birth record.
As she was leaving the hospital, Sakhile, accompanied by two unidentified adult females, offered her a lift in a Toyota Aqua vehicle to Gweru’s central business district.
On their way to town, Sakhile informed Hungwe that she wanted to drop off one of the women at Southview.
The Court heard that the unknown woman was holding what appeared like a newly born baby wrapped in a blanket.
Upon arriving at Southview, Sakhile asked the complainant (Hungwe) to assist the woman who was said to be not fit enough to drop off from the vehicle without someone’s support.
However, as Hungwe disembarked from the car to assist the unidentified woman, Sakhile suddenly accelerated and sped off towards Gweru-Bulawayo Road, taking with her the child, the complainant’s cellphone, baby clothes, and the birth record.
The court heard that Hungwe then screamed for help and one of the male adults managed to record the vehicle’s number plates which led to investigations and subsequent arrest of the two accused persons.
Sakhile’s lawyer Tonderai Chitere of Chitere and Chidawanyika Legal Practitioners refused to entertain questions from the media on whether he will appeal against conviction and sentence.
