Oudtshoorn - A 15-year-old girl has been arrested for kidnapping a three-week-old baby in Oudtshoorn, in the Western Cape, police said on Tuesday.
Captain Malcolm Pojie said the baby was found in Ladismith with the teenager on Tuesday by police acting on a tip-off.
The teen was arrested. She may not be named, and would appear in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on a charge of kidnapping.
The baby's mother left the child outside a supermarket with her 14-year-old nephew when she went to withdraw money from the bank.
The girl apparently gave the 14-year-old R10 and asked him to buy her a memory stick. She took the baby while he was gone.
“The baby is reported to be in good health and will be taken for a medical examination soon,” said Pojie.
He said the department of social development would be investigating the child's mother and assessing their living arrangements.
“The child will temporarily be in a place of care and the outcomes of the social development consultation will determine whether or not the child is returned to the mother.” - Sapa