Woman held for kidnapping baby
2005-01-19 23:10
Nelspruit - A woman has been arrested on charges of abducting a priest's baby in Swaziland and smuggling her into South Africa, apparently to raise her as a prostitute.
The 21-year-old suspect was arrested in Newscom tribal trust outside Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, on Tuesday when neighbours reported her to police for repeatedly beating the 18-month-old girl.
Inspector Isaac Mnisi said the suspect confessed to police that she wanted to raise the child as a prostitute and make money.
Mnisi said: "We first thought she was mentally disturbed, but she insisted that she had a plan."
The Rev Mduduzi Kunene, who is the baby's father, said on Wednesday he nearly collapsed when he was re-united with his daughter, Temetimandze.
'Kidnapper is a church leader'
He said the suspect had been a member of his church since she was a child and had been made a youth leader.
"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to the church on Sunday."
He said the suspect had disappeared with his daughter on November 11.
Kunene's daughter was repeatedly featured on SABC's missing children's programme.
He said: "We are very happy to find our daughter still alive, although she's badly bruised and has lost half her body weight."
The suspect is due to appear in KaBokweni magistrate's court soon on charges of child abuse.
If found guilty, she'll serve her sentence in South Africa before being deported to Swaziland, where she will be charged and tried for abduction.