The married mother of the one-month-old-baby girl, who was falsely reported as kidnapped, and her accomplice boyfriend and his other lover are expected make their first appearance in a Durban court on Monday.
Baby Siwaphiwe was thrust into the spotlight on Friday after her mother’s car was reportedly hijacked in Greyville – with the infant inside.
Police and concerned citizens, fearful the baby’s safety, immediately launched a search for the hijackers. Police even announced a R250,000 reward for information that could lead to the recovery of the child.
However, at the weekend KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson lieutenant colonel Thulani Zwane said the baby was found at about midnight on Saturday – and her mother had been arrested.
Working on a lead, police stopped a vehicle at the Marianhill Toll Plaza. The baby was found inside unharmed – three suspects including the baby’s mother, her boyfriend and his lover who were in the car were all arrested.
On Friday, Sibongile Mbambo said her baby, Siwaphiwe, had been abducted during a hijacking in Greyville that afternoon. She said the incident occurred at City View Mall after two armed men accosted them.
Mbambo, whose husband is a polygamist with eight wives, said her eight-year-old son was ejected from the vehicle before it sped off with the baby inside.
The vehicle was later recovered at the corner of Moodie and Donovan Roads in Montclair without the baby inside.
However, the story changed when police, citing inconsistencies in information they gleaned, suspected the mother and her boyfriend were involved in the alleged kidnap.
The trio will appear in court in Durban Monday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
