A one month
old baby, Siwaphiwe Mbambo, who was abducted during a hijacking in Durban on
Friday, was found in the early hours of today, alive and well. Baby
Siwaphiwe
Mbambo has been placed in the care of the provincial Social Development
Department.
KZN Police
spokesperson, Thulani Zwane, who confirmed the news said a suspicious vehicle
was pulled over at the Marianhill Toll Plaza this morning with Baby Siwaphiwe
inside.
News of the
child's abduction had sparked nationwide concern and made local and
international headlines after it was reported that the woman and her two
children had been walking to their car outside a shopping centre when they were
approached by two suspects who fled with the vehicle and the baby. Police
offered a reward of R250,000 for any information leading to the return of the
child.
"It is
alleged that the mother was walking with her two children - a one-month-old,
and an eight-year old to her car in the parking, when she was approached by two
suspects who allegedly hijacked her of her car, and fled with the one-month-old
child," he said.
South African
Police Service today, released a statement regarding the abduction of Baby
Siwaphiwe which said that three suspects have been arrested in connection with
the case including the child's mother. Read the full police statement below:
"On
Friday, 9 March 2017 the baby’s mother reported to the police that her TOYOTA
YARIS car had been hijacked with her 1 month old baby on the back seat when two
men drove off in her car. The car was
later found abandoned in Montclair with the baby and the nappy bag missing.
The police
deployed all the resources necessary to conduct a search for the missing child
joined by law enforcement officers, community members and organizations with an
interest in finding the missing one month old baby. The search was intensified
and further interviews were conducted
with persons of interest. Too many inconsistencies emerged during the
interviews especially in terms of the initial reporting to the police of how
the incident developed. Information
generated from the interviews became critical in the setting up of a roadblock
in Marianhill in the early hours of this morning. A car was stopped by the
police wherein a man, a woman and the baby in question was found with the baby
unharmed. The baby has been placed under the care of Social Development. Three
people including the 34 year old biological mother of the baby, another woman and a man, have been arrested
and are in custody.
Members of the
SAPS and all role players involved are commended for ensuring the safe return
of Baby Siwaphiwe Mbombo and the arrest of the perpetrators of serious crimes
of this nature. The South African Police Service invested a lot in this case,
including members working overtime, the use of vehicles and aircraft which
impacted negatively on the availability of police resources in the fight
against priority crimes. The diversion of policing resources by people with
selfish motives cannot be tolerated at all. It is thus critical that in
situations like this, those involved are dealt with during the processing of
their cases by the courts of our country. A special prosecutor was appointed
this morning to work with the SAPS on this case.
“We, as the
South African Police Service, are extremely grateful that this innocent baby
has been rescued from a dubious situation to say the least. We thank our members, all other law
enforcement agencies and security companies who stepped up to assist, as well
as the civic minded members of the public who joined forces to assist in the
search. We are a wonderful, caring
society and it is disappointing when people take advantage of their fellow
South African’s trust and belief in humanity.
False claims of crimes which have an entire nation and beyond in a state
of sorrow and anxiety, should be condemned,” said Acting National Commissioner,
Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane.
Those who have
been arrested and are in custody, will appear in court soon.
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