Another KZN woman nabbed for abducting baby

A 35-year-old KwaZulu-Natal woman has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a newborn baby girl from her 18-year-old mother.

The latest incident has prompted police to appeal to parents to take extra precaution when dealing with strangers.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said the teenage mother had boarded a taxi near the Hlabisa Hospital‚ in northern KwaZulu-Natal‚ on Friday after giving birth.

“It is alleged that a woman in her thirties‚ who was sitting behind the mother‚ requested to carry the one-day-old baby girl. The mother agreed as she appeared to be sympathetic‚” said Zwane.

When they arrived at the Mtubatuba taxi rank‚ the older woman asked the mother to buy airtime for her from a nearby shop and promised to wait for her.

“On her return from the shop‚ the mother realised that the woman and her newborn baby were nowhere to be found.”

The matter was reported to the local police station and with the help of the community the woman was located with the baby.

“The suspect was charged for kidnapping and will appear in the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court. The baby was taken to a health facility for a check-up.”

Zwane said parents should not hand their babies over to strangers.

“Police are concerned with the high incidence of cases where parents hand over their newborn babies to people who befriend them at taxi ranks and business premises.”

Two weeks ago‚ police arrested a 21-year-old woman on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast who allegedly kidnapped a two-month-old baby. The baby’s 28-year-old mother was approached by the woman wearing sleepwear at the Umzinto taxi rank‚ claiming she needed help because she was destitute and a victim of abuse. The mother took the woman to her home at an informal settlement.

The woman allegedly feigned a headache and asked for painkillers. The mother left the baby with the woman to get her pills from a neighbour. When she returned the woman and baby had disappeared.