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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