By A Correspondent
A 16-year-old mother and her own mother have been arrested for attempting to sell a newborn baby for just US$180 in a disturbing case of illegal adoption.
The young mother’s identity has been kept private, though she is said to have used the name Nobuhle Sibanda in the illicit arrangement. Her mother, Evelyn Zisengwe, was also involved in the plot.
The two women, along with Dion Tore, a known underworld dealer whom they met through a WhatsApp group, were arrested and have since appeared in court on charges of human trafficking. The trio was remanded in custody and will return to court for a bail hearing on Thursday.
According to court documents, the scheme began in January when the pair planned to sell Sibanda’s nine-month-old baby. The court was told that Zisengwe had initially contacted Tore on a WhatsApp group called Sora ne Miti, claiming her daughter was pregnant and planning to terminate the pregnancy. However, Tore, who allegedly had a history of miscarriages, expressed interest in adopting the child instead.
Sibanda and Tore agreed to meet on February 22, and during this meeting, Tore facilitated a scan which confirmed the baby was a girl, and the pregnancy was nearly eight months along. In a shocking move, they arranged for the baby to be delivered prematurely at Sally Mugabe Hospital with the help of a nurse, whose identity is yet to be revealed.
Tore falsified personal details and presented them to Harare Hospital officials, claiming she was the one carrying the pregnancy. On February 25, Sibanda delivered her child prematurely and handed the baby over to Tore on March 5.
Tore then went on to create a fake death certificate, falsely reporting that the baby had died shortly after birth.
From May to August, Zisengwe received US$180 from Tore via Ecocash as part of the illegal transaction.
The plot was uncovered after a tip-off led police in Murehwa to launch an investigation, resulting in the arrest of the three women.
In a related case earlier this year, Pauline Maganga was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling her child in another human trafficking scandal.