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| Reunited with mother |
A couple have been arrested for kidnapping a two-month-old baby in Gweru from his mother, who was transferred from hospital to the city.
According to the police memorandum, the first accused is Sakhile Tanyaniwa (34 years old), a student at Midlands State University, while her husband is Mikia Tanyaniwa (59 years old), a retired Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner who is now self-employed.
The pair were charged with kidnapping as defined in section 93(1)(b)(1)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
The informant in this case is the 31-year-old mother of a two-month-old baby, who is registered as a complainant in the police warrant.
On March 8, 2024, the police warrant said, the mother took her daughter (whose name has been withheld to protect her identity) to the hospital to obtain her birth record.
“When she arrived at the main gate of Gweru Regional Hospital, she met Sakele Tanyaniwa, an adult female, light-skinned, of medium build, who appeared to be in her early thirties, and was wearing a red and blue floral dress. Sakhila inquired for directions to the maternity ward and gave her (the mother ) directions and continued its mission to obtain a birth registry.
After being served, the mother returned to the main gate where she wanted to look for transportation to Gweru Central Business District, when Sakhele came out from the direction of the hospital driving a Toyota Aqua and offered to give her a lift.
“(The mother) got into the car and while she was there, she discovered that there were two other women who did not notice the appearance of their bodies and clothes. One of them was sitting in the front passenger seat and the other was sitting in the right rear while Sakhil was driving. “Lauren sat on the left side of the back seat,” the police report states.
“The person sitting in the front passenger seat was holding what looked like a newborn baby girl wrapped in diapers, and she looked like she was giving birth. The whole way she was acting like she was going through labor pains.
On her way into town, Sakili told her mother she wanted to stop by Southview to drop off her sister before moving on.
“While in Southview, the vehicle was parked at the gate at an unknown address for allegedly dropping off her sister and (the mother) was asked to assist a female passenger who was carrying a newborn baby. (The mother) put her child in the seat and got out of the car to go and provide assistance as requested. At that time, the vehicle set off at high speed towards the Gweru to Bulawayo road with the two-month-old baby and the mother’s belongings which included an Itel A56 mobile phone.
The mother screamed for help and an adult managed to record the vehicle’s registration number and proceeded to make a report to ZRP Gweru Central.
Police investigations revealed that the car, registered in the name of Glandina Nhamu, had changed ownership several times before it ended up with Mikia. Who was found with the child.
Mikia was interviewed and his wife, Sakhile Tanyanyiwa ni Chuma, was implicated as being in possession of the vehicle in question. He added that the car was brought to Harare while being driven by an unknown woman who later fled into the darkness.
When the police contacted the mother, they identified her child, her bag containing children’s clothes, and the child’s birth record.
” (Child) He was transferred to Gweru Regional Hospital for tests and his condition was found to be stable. She was later reunited with her mother.
“The registration number of the Toyota Aqua car (number withheld) was seized and kept at the station as an exhibit.”
The police note said that when Sakhile was lured to Gweru CID for interviews, she referred to her friend Sonene Nyoni as the person she had left with the vehicle in question while she was going to Masvingo.
Police said investigations are continuing, with efforts underway to locate Nyonyi while the Tanyanywa couple will approach court.
After being reached for comment, Midlands Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko redirected inquiries to national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who was unavailable for comment at the time. Site
