Ms Patricia Chitsa of Gimboki welcomed her son, Tawanda, a
few minutes into her journey from Dangamvura to Sakubva District Hospital for a
routine antenatal care check-up.
Ms Chitsa’s husband, Mr Knowledge Nyasha, said the kombi
crew and passengers, among them a pre-teen girl, took up midwifery duties near
Sakubva swimming pool.
The pre-teen girl, who was on her way to holiday lessons,
received the baby before handing him to her mother; much to the delight of
other passengers and onlookers.
Despite the drama, the baby arrived without a hitch.
Tawanda is Ms Chitsa’s third child.
Inside the kombi, soil was strewn as the kombi crew cleaned
up the improvised delivery room.
When The Manica Post caught up with Ms Chitsa later at
Sakubva District Hospital, she shared her dramatic experience; saying she was
still two months away from her expected delivery date and never entertained
thoughts of going into labour that day.
She said along the way, she suddenly felt contractions and
realised she was going into labour. She cried out for help and other passengers
alerted the driver to stop the vehicle.
The “Yellowbone” kombi crew had to divert the kombi and
rush Ms Chitsa and her new-born baby to Sakubva District Hospital, where they
were both pronounced healthy.
“I was feeling unwell and wanted to see a doctor. I never
thought that I would deliver the baby that morning. I thought they would attend
to me at the hospital, allow me to go back home and wait for delivery in
February. On our way to the hospital, I suddenly felt the baby coming. I was
shocked and scared at the same time. I asked for help. The other passengers
were very kind, and they asked the driver to stop the vehicle,” she said.
Ms Chitsa said she was overjoyed when her baby was
pronounced healthy at the hospital.
The baby’s father, Mr Nyasa, said he was grateful to the
kombi crew and other passengers for helping his wife to deliver their baby.
“Had they not been alert and quick, maybe we could have
lost the baby. I would like to thank the kombi crew and fellow passengers for
their swift reaction,” he said.
An elated “Yellowbone” kombi conductor, Mr Frank Manjeese,
said: “The nurses told us that the baby and his mother were healthy after
examining them at Sakubva District Hospital. We refunded the couple their fare.
We gave them the money as a push gift because we saw it as a blessing that the
baby boy was born in our kombi.
“They blessed our kombi, and we believe that 2024 will be a
be blessed year for us.”
The driver Mr Ronald Ngondonga said he was still in shock
as he had never seen a woman give birth before.
“I am not usually the driver of this kombi. I am the crew’s
supervisor, but I decided to take over and drive it for that trip. I was not
aware that there was a pregnant woman in the vehicle. I was shocked when other
passengers shouted for me to stop as we approached Sakubva swimming pool. The
passengers shouted that a woman had gone into labour. At first I thought it was
a joke.
“When I stopped and looked back, I saw the woman delivering
her baby. A brave pre-teen girl who was on her way to holiday lessons received
the baby,” said Mr Ngongonda.
The kombi’s actual driver, Mr Walter Mahwite, who was
seated near Ms Chitsa, said his jacket had to be used to receive and wrap the
baby.
The woman boarded the kombi together with her husband, but
she did not show any signs of labour pain. We hope that this baby will one day
remember us and come back to us as his ‘godfathers’,” said the man with a
beaming smile.
Another passenger, who was present during the incident, Mr
Tinotenda Maroso, said he is yet to get over the incident.
“I am still stunned about the whole incident. We were in
the kombi when the woman asked to disembark.
“Before we could do anything, we suddenly heard a baby
crying. It was both scary and exciting to witness the drama,” said Mr Maroso. Manica Post
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