News / National
Sick baby dies at roadblock while Zimbabwe police detain parents demanding bribe
11 Jan 2016 at 06:31hrs | Views
A premature baby died at Chitungwiza Town Council office after her parents were detained for failing to pay a fine for driving their vehicle against One Way in an attempt to get the baby to hospital fast.
Susan Bata aged 24 had given birth to a premature baby in Seke Communal lands and her husband Job Kapesa (31) could not reach Chitungwiza central hospital after he was stopped by municipal cops at Makoni Shopping centre.
He was asked to pay $50 fine and he failed to raise the money.
That led to police detaining the couple and the baby and their car was impounded.
The baby died at the council offices.
The baby was buried in Epworth on New Year's Day.
Kapesa said he admitted the offence and the police "never sympathised with us after I narrated the urgency of my mission to rush to the hospital with the baby even though he saw the baby".
"The municipal police insisted on demanding the full amount despite my effort to sell my mobile phone at $10".
"After we were taken to Chitungwiza Town Council at around 10am, his boss Godwin Mvere further added salt on our wound by saying he did not care about the baby's condition.
"Mvere scrolled his mobile phone showing us his children's photographs saying ours was not that special for us to go unpunished for disobeying road rules".
He added " After realising their mistake, Mvere and his friend Obrien Rwafa gave us $300 saying it was to help to meet funeral costs."
Susan Bata aged 24 had given birth to a premature baby in Seke Communal lands and her husband Job Kapesa (31) could not reach Chitungwiza central hospital after he was stopped by municipal cops at Makoni Shopping centre.
He was asked to pay $50 fine and he failed to raise the money.
That led to police detaining the couple and the baby and their car was impounded.
The baby died at the council offices.
The baby was buried in Epworth on New Year's Day.
Kapesa said he admitted the offence and the police "never sympathised with us after I narrated the urgency of my mission to rush to the hospital with the baby even though he saw the baby".
"The municipal police insisted on demanding the full amount despite my effort to sell my mobile phone at $10".
"After we were taken to Chitungwiza Town Council at around 10am, his boss Godwin Mvere further added salt on our wound by saying he did not care about the baby's condition.
"Mvere scrolled his mobile phone showing us his children's photographs saying ours was not that special for us to go unpunished for disobeying road rules".
He added " After realising their mistake, Mvere and his friend Obrien Rwafa gave us $300 saying it was to help to meet funeral costs."
Source - Online
