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An alleged kidnapper who stole a day-old baby at a taxi rank after using her gift of the gab to sweet-talk a new young mother, has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old mother from Mfekayi, and the accused, boarded a taxi from Hlabisa Hospital to Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal after giving birth on Friday, September 14.
"It is alleged that a woman in her thirties, who was sitting behind the mother, requested to carry the one-day-old newborn baby girl. The mother agreed, as she appeared to be sympathetic," police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said.
On their arrival at the Mtubatuba taxi rank, the 35-year-old woman asked the mother to buy airtime 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," said Zwane.
He said the matter was reported in the Mtubatuba police station. However, residents intervened before the police did.
Zwane said Mtubatuba residents marched to the Makhambane area after receiving information of a woman who had been found in the possession of a newborn baby who did not belong to her.
"Police were contacted and the woman was handed over to the police, who placed her under arrest. After the baby was found, the suspect was positively identified by the mother of the stolen baby as the same person who stole her child."
The woman was charged with kidnapping and will appear in the Mtubatuba Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The baby was taken to a health facility, Zwane said.
He said police were appealing to parents to take extra precautions when dealing with strangers.
"Parents should not hand over their babies to strangers. They must ensure that, at all times, their eyes are on their babies. 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."
