Woman sought for baby-snatching

Published Sep 29, 2014

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Cape Town - As the search for a 2-month-old baby from Mbekweni near Paarl enters day four on Monday the boy’s parents are being supported by the community and the police who are looking for a woman suspected of having allegedly kidnapped the child.

Azile Skafu was allegedly kidnapped by a woman to whom his mother, Monica Manzi, had given shelter.

The baby’s family said they had not heard anything that could help find him and that the police and members of the community were at their side all the time.

Manzi said that at about 6pm on Thursday a woman who gave her name as Nosisi arrived at her home and told her she needed a place to stay as her boyfriend had thrown her out of the Paarl flat they shared. She agreed to let the woman stay for a while, Manzi said.

“I felt her pain. She said she was having a problem with her boyfriend. She also said she had a 2-month-old baby,” Manzi said, adding that it was getting late.

She described the woman as very friendly and well spoken, and said, although they had not met before, she did not suspect anything.

Police spokesman Van Wyk said, Manzi, her boyfriend Mzwandile Johnson and the woman had visited a shebeen where they had a few drinks. After they returned home at 8pm the woman asked Manzi to accompany her back to the shebeen

to buy some more liquor, he said. After the two women returned home, the three adults consumed more before they went to sleep, he said.

”The complainant and her boyfriend slept on the floor and let the suspect sleep on their bed with their baby boy,” said Van Wyk.

Manzi said a frantic Johnson woke her at 4am and asked where the woman and the child were as they were not in the house and the front door was open.

Manzi said the baby’s clothes and bottle were where she had left them. There was no sign of the child at nearby homes, so she reported the matter to the police.

“She must bring back my baby, please. Please… I want my baby, please bring him back,” Manzi begged on Sunday. “I didn’t think this would happen to me. I have four children. Why this one, why the little one?” she asked.

Azile has his grandmother’s surname as Manzi and Johnson were not yet married, a relative, Sindiswa Magadlela, said.

Van Wyk said the police were looking for a woman who is believed to be in her mid-30s with long dreadlocks. She is brown of complexion and was last seen wearing a blue and black skirt, white top and black sandals, Van Wyk said.

“There are no new developments to report. The investigation continues,” the police spokesman said.

Anyone with information can contact investigating officer Constable Alastair Claassen on 076 177 4400 or Mbekweni detectives on 021 868 9926. Information can also be given to Crime Stop 08600 1011 or SMS Crimeline 32211

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Cape Times

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