Sunday 10 November 2019

GIRL SNATCHED IN BYO FOUND ALIVE IN TSHOLOTSHO


A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl who was snatched away from her home in Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb by a stranger has been reunited with her family after she was found in Tsholotsho.

Nosipho Ndlovu went missing on October 30 from her grandmother’s home after a destitute, Simphiwe Mlilo (21), took her on the pretext that she wanted to buy her  some chips.

 Mlilo was arrested on Friday after she was found with the girl in Tsholotsho.  In an interview, the mother of the girl, Ms Simelinkosi Ncube, confirmed that her child was safely back home though she could not give further details.

“We are happy she is back home and I am still traumatised by the whole incident. However, I am not at liberty to make any comments as there are some family formalities that we have to follow,” said Ms Ncube.

“We are also trying to do investigations and map a way forward and only then can we open up and share the story with members of the public”.

The family approached The Chronicle last week seeking assistance in locating the girl who was reportedly found with no injuries. 

Former ZBC DJ, Mr Ezra Sibanda, who is based in the United Kingdom, expressed gratitude to The Chronicle, other local media and the police who helped in locating the child.

“The little 4-year-old girl snatched from her house in Emganwini, Bulawayo, on the 30th of October 2019 has been found well and alive in Tsholotsho. Working with the family we unleashed a wave of searches using social media, amazing Chronicle newspaper helped by carrying the story and local radio presenters all sent alert messages,” he said in a message posted on Facebook.

“I’m deeply humbled by their support and thank all of them from the bottom of my heart. I sent alert messages to all the borders and contacted the police force everywhere in Zimbabwe and it worked.”

According to Mr Sibanda, the girl’s return was a collective effort from all members of the public.

“We contacted Police Chiefs in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South. Three Officers under Lupane-Tsholotsho, namely, Constable Nyoni, Sergeant Sibanda & Constable Mpofu took up the case.

“On Friday afternoon they found the woman who stole the child, recovered the young girl but the woman ran away though she was finally caught.” 

Narrating the family’s ordeal to The Chronicle last week, Nosipho’s grandmother Mrs Moli Nkomo said they did not suspect that Mlilo could disappear with her grandchild.

“Simphiwe came to my house last week on Wednesday looking for Nosipho’s mother, Simelinkosi Ncube. However, she was not around.

“We know Simphiwe as she was staying with my daughter-in-law who had found her stranded in town. When she arrived here, she asked to go with Nosipho to buy airtime so that she calls her mother, I did not suspect anything. She told my granddaughter that she was going to buy her chips and she agreed to accompany her,” said Mrs Nkomo. Chronicle

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