Terrence Mawawa, Chivi | A local woman who was desperate to woo back her husband after he left her for another woman sneaked into Berejena Mission Hospital and stole a one-day-old baby.
Rester Mapombwa(31), whose husband dumped her for another woman, sneaked into the hospital’s maternity ward and stole Tatenda Nhinga(18)’s baby. Mapombwa appeared before Chivi Resident Magistrate Bishard Chineka last week facing kidnapping charges.
She lied to her husband that she was pregnant. In her defence she said she was the first wife and her husband had deserted her for another woman.
She said she was the first wife in a polygamous marriage and her husband had dumped her for another woman. She further claimed her husband was not taking care of her and by stealing the baby she wanted to please him.
The incident happened on April 26 when Mapombwa went to the maternity ward masquerading as a relative of one the women in the ward. She lied to the women that their clothes had fallen from the washing line. All the women in the ward went outside to check their clothes and Mapombwa proceeded to take the baby belonging to Nhinga and placed it in a bag she was holding. She then left the maternity ward soon after taking the baby.
Upon realising that one of the babies was missing, the women alerted security officers at the hospital and Mapombwa was found with the baby in her bag. She tried to run away but she was quickly apprehended by the alert security personnel.
She was sentenced to three years in prison.