Found, then lost: Zephany snubs siblings

28 February 2016 - 02:00 By PHILANI NOMBEMBE

From the moment they were old enough to understand what had happened, Zephany Nurse's biological siblings prayed for her to come home and celebrated her birthday in her absence. But the reality of her return has been a far cry from what they imagined. As the woman charged with kidnapping Zephany 18 years ago faces trial in the High Court in Cape Town, the teenager has cut ties with her biological brother and two sisters.A year ago, Zephany was reunited with her biological parents, Celeste and Morné Nurse, after a chance encounter with her sister Cassidy, then 13, who enrolled at the same Cape Town high school as Zephany.When the two met, they were struck by their physical resemblance, police were called and the truth was revealed.Morné's mother, Zephra Nurse, told the Sunday Times this week that Zephany's three siblings were under strain from the drama that has thrust the family into the spotlight.Zephra said the children were battling to comprehend why their elder sister had now detached herself from them almost as suddenly as she came into their lives in February last year."On the first day she came to visit, Zephany's nine-year-old brother took her to his room and said: 'I was praying for you and I am so glad you have been found,'" said Zephra.mini_story_image_hleft1"She loves her brother very much but she said to him: 'I am not going to phone any more because I am going to be busy. I will phone when things are right.'"The children grew up knowing that their sister was stolen. When it was her birthday, we used to have a party and they would pray for her."Zephra said her grandchildren had had counselling, and the family understood the need to give Zephany time to make sense of what was happening in her life."We are giving her space because she is also going through a traumatic time," said Zephra."I don't think she is at school this year. This drama has disrupted her life; she couldn't write her matric exams."When the Sunday Times asked Morné for an interview, he responded by WhatsApp: "Unfortunately no interviews will be considered without any sort of inconvenience compensation ... there are many entities that want interviews. Thanks for understanding."Celeste did not respond to questions sent to her.According to the prosecution in the kidnapping case, the woman snatched two-day-old Zephany from Groote Schuur Hospital on April 30 1997. She has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, fraud and contravention of the Children's Act.The state closed its case on Thursday after her 35-page plea explanation gave her side of how she came to raise Zephany as her daughter.The document described her battle with infertility, her desperation to conceive, a troubled upbringing, abusive relationships and how she misled her family, including her husband, into believing the baby was hers.mini_story_image_vright2She claimed that she got Zephany from a woman she remembered only as Sylvia and paid R3000 for the "adoption". She said Sylvia told her that she would register Zephany as her own child with the Department of Home Affairs. "Kidnapping a child who did not belong to me is not in my nature," the woman said in her plea explanation."I had on occasions thought about telling [my husband] and Zephany about the adoption, but they had a very close relationship and I did not want to destroy it. As we grew close it became harder to tell them the truth."The trial continues tomorrow, when the woman - who cannot be named to protect Zephany's identity - will take the stand in her own defence.Meanwhile, Western Cape police are searching for a 10-day-old baby who was stolen from Worcester Hospital during visiting hours at about 7pm on Thursday.In another incident, police in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape arrested a 28-year-old woman for allegedly kidnapping a newborn baby.The baby was reportedly taken from her 17-year-old mother "on the pretext that the woman would administer care while the mother was buying milk at the store".nombembep@sundaytimes.co.za..

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