A 20-year-old woman appeared in the New Brighton Magistrates Court on Thursday, in connection with the kidnapping of a four-day-old baby in Gqeberha last November.
Amahle Sigam allegedly kidnapped the child while shopping for baby clothes with his mother at the Kenako Mall.
During her first court appearance, Sigam was dressed in a blue nightgown and walked with a limp.
She procured the services of a Legal Aid attorney, who informed the court that she had no previous convictions.
Police spokesperson, Captain Andre Beetge, said Sigam was arrested on Tuesday when alert Dora Nginza hospital staff contacted the police after a woman tried to register the baby boy using fictitious paperwork.
“The baby was found in her care. The child is in the custody of social workers until the preliminary investigation has been finalised,” he said.
The abduction took place on 27 November last year, when 33-year-old, Noncedo Jali, was discharged from Dora Nginza Hospital after giving birth to her baby boy several days earlier.
It is alleged that Sigam fraudulently posed as a friend of the family.
They went to Kenako Mall to buy clothing for the newborn baby. While in the mall, the suspect allegedly disappeared with the child.
The case has been postponed for the verification of Sigam's address and profile.
Her mother, who was present in court, did not want to comment on the charges brought against the accused.
She was remanded in custody until her next court appearance on 6 July.
