News / Local
Bulawayo man kidnaps girl (4)
01 Sep 2012 at 03:17hrs | Views
A four-year-old Makokoba girl is lucky to be alive after a man snatched her through a window from a bed she was sleeping on with her grandmother on Thursday morning.
Residents suspected the man is part of a gang responsible for a spate of break-ins that occurred in New Magwegwe and Njube on the same day, getting away with cellphones and cash.
They said the gang "gassed" victims to ensure they did not wake up during robberies.
The situation was tense in Makokoba yesterday where angry youths declared they did not want to see strangers in the area.
Residents were divided with some saying the child could have been kidnapped for ritual purposes while others felt it was for Satanism.
The kidnapper released the child unharmed after taking her to Mazayi River where he forced her to lie down on the smelly muddy bank.
"We can deal with break-ins but when they extend to snatching children, we draw the line. We are determined to get to the bottom of the matter. If we see any suspicious looking persons, we will deal with them. Witchcraft or Satanism will not be tolerated here," said a youth who only identified himself as Mandla.
The child's grandmother, Mrs Marah Sibanda (62) of 1039 Makokoba, wept as she narrated the harrowing experience.
"I was fast asleep at about 3.45am when I heard my granddaughter crying. At first I thought she had left the bed and was in the sitting room. I called out her name and when she went on crying, I went to investigate," said Mrs Sibanda.
She said she was scared out of her wits when she realised the child was outside.
"I opened the door and she was standing there, trembling with her clothes wet and dirty. I nearly collapsed as I suspected the worst," she said.
Mrs Sibanda said the child told her a man had opened the window and grabbed her from the bed.
"She said the man covered her mouth and ran with her to the river where he forced her to lie down. After a few minutes the man suddenly stood up and said Futseki, akuhambe ngini, before running away," said Mrs Sibanda.
She is convinced God intervened but residents suspect that a passerby could have disturbed the man forcing him to run away.
Mrs Sibanda said: "Doctors at Mpilo Central Hospital examined the child and confirmed that she had not been raped."
Residents suspected the man is part of a gang responsible for a spate of break-ins that occurred in New Magwegwe and Njube on the same day, getting away with cellphones and cash.
They said the gang "gassed" victims to ensure they did not wake up during robberies.
The situation was tense in Makokoba yesterday where angry youths declared they did not want to see strangers in the area.
Residents were divided with some saying the child could have been kidnapped for ritual purposes while others felt it was for Satanism.
The kidnapper released the child unharmed after taking her to Mazayi River where he forced her to lie down on the smelly muddy bank.
"We can deal with break-ins but when they extend to snatching children, we draw the line. We are determined to get to the bottom of the matter. If we see any suspicious looking persons, we will deal with them. Witchcraft or Satanism will not be tolerated here," said a youth who only identified himself as Mandla.
The child's grandmother, Mrs Marah Sibanda (62) of 1039 Makokoba, wept as she narrated the harrowing experience.
"I was fast asleep at about 3.45am when I heard my granddaughter crying. At first I thought she had left the bed and was in the sitting room. I called out her name and when she went on crying, I went to investigate," said Mrs Sibanda.
She said she was scared out of her wits when she realised the child was outside.
"I opened the door and she was standing there, trembling with her clothes wet and dirty. I nearly collapsed as I suspected the worst," she said.
Mrs Sibanda said the child told her a man had opened the window and grabbed her from the bed.
"She said the man covered her mouth and ran with her to the river where he forced her to lie down. After a few minutes the man suddenly stood up and said Futseki, akuhambe ngini, before running away," said Mrs Sibanda.
She is convinced God intervened but residents suspect that a passerby could have disturbed the man forcing him to run away.
Mrs Sibanda said: "Doctors at Mpilo Central Hospital examined the child and confirmed that she had not been raped."
Source - TC
