News / Regional
Woman dumps month-old baby flees with boyfriend
10 May 2014 at 07:22hrs | Views
A 23-YEAR-OLD Bulilima woman dumped her one-month-old baby girl at a neighbour's house and fled to Botswana with her boyfriend.
Nobukhosi Msebele of Bambadzi area was later abandoned by her lover, Lucky Dube, after they had reached the neighbouring country.Msebele, a mother of two, said her boyfriend who is the father of her first child had promised to get her employment in the neighbouring country.
She said Dube had, however, given her an ultimatum to abandon the second child.
"Lucky is the father of my first child and he made it clear that he would not take care of another man's child. I was desperate because I wanted to get a job and he offered his help. I told him that I couldn't leave my child at home because I stay with my grandmother and she is very old," Msebele told a Plumtree magistrate as she pleaded guilty to baby dumping.
She said Dube advised her to dump the child at a neighbour's house and run away to Botswana with him.
"He told me that he still loved me and promised that we would live as a family and that he would take care of me and his child," said Msebele.
She said she entered a neighbour's house and left the child in a kitchen hut. Msebele said she handed herself to law enforcement agents in Botswana after her lover had abandoned her.
"To my surprise Lucky abandoned me when we got to Botswana. He told me that he wanted to inquire about a job opportunity and he left me standing by a roadside. I later realised that he had tricked me because he never came back," she said.
Msebele added: "He left me stranded with our two-year-old son. I went to a police station and I told them what had happened and that I had abandoned my baby back at home."
She said she assumed that dumping the baby was the best option as she was struggling to fend for her children.
"I've been struggling to look after these children. The father of my second child left me after he discovered that I was pregnant. Lucky also left me after his child was born but he came back recently and he told me that he still loved me.
"I thought that if I could get a job I would manage to look after my children as well as my grandmother. I love my children very much including the one I left at my neighbour's house."
She appeared before Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa who sentenced her to nine months imprisonment. Three months of her sentence were suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a crime of the same nature. The remaining six months were wholly suspended on condition that she performs 210 hours of community service at Hingwe Clinic.
Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Msebele dumped her baby at Bathayeli Ncube's homestead on May 1 this year.
Nobukhosi Msebele of Bambadzi area was later abandoned by her lover, Lucky Dube, after they had reached the neighbouring country.Msebele, a mother of two, said her boyfriend who is the father of her first child had promised to get her employment in the neighbouring country.
She said Dube had, however, given her an ultimatum to abandon the second child.
"Lucky is the father of my first child and he made it clear that he would not take care of another man's child. I was desperate because I wanted to get a job and he offered his help. I told him that I couldn't leave my child at home because I stay with my grandmother and she is very old," Msebele told a Plumtree magistrate as she pleaded guilty to baby dumping.
She said Dube advised her to dump the child at a neighbour's house and run away to Botswana with him.
"He told me that he still loved me and promised that we would live as a family and that he would take care of me and his child," said Msebele.
She said she entered a neighbour's house and left the child in a kitchen hut. Msebele said she handed herself to law enforcement agents in Botswana after her lover had abandoned her.
Msebele added: "He left me stranded with our two-year-old son. I went to a police station and I told them what had happened and that I had abandoned my baby back at home."
She said she assumed that dumping the baby was the best option as she was struggling to fend for her children.
"I've been struggling to look after these children. The father of my second child left me after he discovered that I was pregnant. Lucky also left me after his child was born but he came back recently and he told me that he still loved me.
"I thought that if I could get a job I would manage to look after my children as well as my grandmother. I love my children very much including the one I left at my neighbour's house."
She appeared before Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa who sentenced her to nine months imprisonment. Three months of her sentence were suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a crime of the same nature. The remaining six months were wholly suspended on condition that she performs 210 hours of community service at Hingwe Clinic.
Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Msebele dumped her baby at Bathayeli Ncube's homestead on May 1 this year.
Source - chronicle
