-as mother is reunited with baby
MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-In a heart-wrenching incident, a brave mother in Gweru was reunited with her two-month-old baby after a terrifying kidnapping ordeal.
Sakhile Tanyanyiwa (34) of Ivene suburb, pleaded guilty to kidnapping while the charges against Mekia Tanyanyiwa (59), were withdrawn by the state before plea.
Appearing before Gweru Provincial Magistrate Beaulity Dube, Sakhile was remanded in custody to March 12, pending submissions from his defense counsel, led by Tonderai Chitere of Chitere and Chidawanyika Legal Practitioners.
The state led by Christine Shonhiwa told the court that on the 8th of March 2024, 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 to 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 speed off towards Gweru-Bulawayo road, taking with her the child, the complainant’s cellphone, baby clothes, and the birth record with her.
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.
The child has since been reunited with her mother after she was examined at the Gweru General Hospital and found to be stable.
