A couple has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a two-month-old baby in Gweru from its mother, who was provided a lift from the hospital to the Central Business District (CBD).
According to a police memorandum seen by CITE, Sakhile Tanyanyiwa (34), a student at Midlands State University and her husband Mekia Tanyanyiwa (59), a retired Zimbabwe Republic Police commissioner who is now self-employed, have been charged with kidnapping as defined in Section 93(1) (b) (i) (ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
The informant in this case is the 31-year-old mother of the two-month-old baby, who is recorded as the complainant in the police memo.
The police memo said on 08 March 2024, the mother had taken her daughter (whose names have been withheld to protect their identity) to the hospital to obtain her birth record. Read the memo:
As (she) arrived at Gweru Provincial Hospital main gate, she met Sakhile Tanyanyiwa, a female adult, light in complexion, medium built, appearing to be in the early 30s of age and was wearing a red and blue floral dress.
Sakhile inquired about the directions to the maternity ward and (the mother) gave her the directions and proceeded with her mission to obtain the birth record.
After she was served, the mother returned to the main gate where she wanted to look for transport to the Gweru Central Business District.
Sakhile emerged from the hospital direction driving a Toyota Aqua and offered her a lift. Reads the memo:
(The mother) got inside the car and while inside she discovered that there were two more ladies whose body appearance and dressing she did not notice.
One was seated at the front passenger’s seat and the other was seated at the right back while Sakhile was driving. Loreen sat on the left side of the back seat.
The one seated in the front passenger’s seat was holding what appeared like a newlyborn baby wrapped in nappies and she looked as if she was from giving birth. All the way she was behaving like she was in birth pain.
On the way to town, Sakhile told the mother that she wanted to pass through Southview, to drop her sister before proceeding. Said the memo:
While in Southview, the vehicle was parked by the gate at an unknown address purporting to drop her sister and (the mother) was asked to assist a female passenger who was holding a newly born baby.
(The mother) put her child on the seat and disembarked from the vehicle to go and offer help as requested.
It is at that time that the vehicle sped off at high speed towards the Gweru to Bulawayo road together with two month old and the mother’s belongings that included an Itel A56 cellphone.
The mother screamed for help and a male adult managed to record the vehicle registration’s number and proceeded to make a report at ZRP Gweru Central.
The Police established that the vehicle registered under Glandina Nhamo’s name, had changed hands multiple times before ending up with Mekia, who was found with the baby. Reads the report:
Mekia was interviewed and he implicated his wife Sakhile Tanyanyiwa nee Tshuma as the one who was in possession of the motor vehicle in question.
He added that the vehicle was brought to Harare whilst being driven by an unknown female who later escaped into the darkness.
When police contacted the mother, she positively identified her child, her bag with baby clothes and the child’s birth record. Says the memo:
(The baby) was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital for examination and was found to be stable. She was later reunited with her mother.
The motor vehicle Toyota Aqua registration number (number withheld) was seized and is held at the station as an exhibit.
The police memo says when Sakhile was lured to CID Gweru for interviews, she implicated her friend Soneni Nyoni as the one whom she left with the vehicle in question whilst she was going to Masvingo.
Police said investigations continue, with efforts to locate Nyoni while the Tanyanyiwa couple will proceed to court.
More: Pindula News