S'bongile Mbambo and her lover‚ Phumlani Mbokazi‚ have been granted R1‚000 bail in the Durban Magistrate's Court where they are accused of staging the kidnapping of baby Siwaphiwe‚ Mbambo's daughter.
Both have been charged with defeating the ends of justice and fraud - the latter charge relating to how they allegedly misled police into performing a massive search for the one-month-old last week.
- Siwaphiwe is my baby - accusedThe man charged with the abduction of baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo is hoping a paternity test will get him off a kidnapping charge.
Speaking through a legal representative‚ Mbokazi - who claims to be the real father of one-month-old Siwaphiwe Mbambo - said he would plead not guilty to the charges. Mbambo's legal team gave no indication of how she intended to plead.
Both Mbambo and Mbokazi were in the dock of the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. They initially also faced kidnapping charges‚ but those have fallen away.
Mbambo had told police that she was hijacked near the City View shopping centre on Friday‚ leading to an intensive search that ended after Mbokani was caught with the child while driving towards Durban on the N3 in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police are now saying that the hijacking was completely staged.
- Baby Siwaphiwe - DNA testing to determine identity of kidnapped babyThe paternity of kidnapped baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo was thrust into the spotlight as her mother S'bongile and her secret lover‚ Phumlani Mbokazi‚ appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday.
The paternity of the baby - which was requested by Mbokazi's legal team amid claims that he was the father‚ and not S'bongile's husband‚ Christopher Mbambo - would now be handled by the Family Court‚ the packed courtroom was told on Wednesday.
The State did not oppose bail.
Mbokazi and Mbambo have no previous convictions or other pending cases against them.
The baby, who has been given a clean bill of health, is being cared for by social workers at a Durban place of safety.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
