Elderly couple reunites with granddaughter 4 years after abduction

Mavava Village in Tsholotsho was the scene of mixed emotions as an elderly couple, Bartholomew and Elizabeth Hadebe, reunited with their granddaughter, who had been abducted four years earlier at the age of 11. The girl, referred to as "Sinqobile Dube" to protect her identity, was spotted last year in a village just 20km away, ending years of anguish for her family.

The joy of finding their granddaughter alive was tempered by anger and unanswered questions, as the suspected abductor, Fortunate Sibanda, reportedly fled to Botswana. The Hadebes expressed frustration at the slow pace of police investigations and the lack of clarity about what Sinqobile endured during her captivity.

Sinqobile, whose mother is intellectually challenged, was abducted by Sibanda and taken to Murewa in Mashonaland East. There, Sibanda allegedly forced her into labor, including herding cattle and fetching water. The Hadebes recounted the sleepless nights they endured, even consulting traditional healers in Binga in their desperate search for the young girl.

"For all those four years, we never knew peace as we didn't know if our granddaughter was alive or not. We tried everything humanly possible," said Bartholomew Hadebe.

Sinqobile's return home revealed a trail of forged documents, including a fraudulent birth certificate bearing a new name and a forged school admission record. These were allegedly orchestrated by Sibanda, who had initially planned to take Sinqobile across the border to Botswana but was thwarted by the lack of a passport.

The breakthrough came when a cross-border transporter, locally known as umalayitsha, recognized Sinqobile at Ngqoya Village, where she was working as a maid under the care of one Alice Sibanda, who claimed to be her grandmother. Authorities discovered that Alice Sibanda had presented a forged affidavit to support the issuance of the fake birth certificate.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the admission record used to obtain the birth certificate had been forged. The document falsely claimed that Sinqobile was a student at Magama Primary School in Tsholotsho. However, the school's headmaster, Victor Malaba, denied any involvement, pointing out that the signature and handwriting on the document were not his but that of a senior teacher at the school.

"The admission number used belonged to an already-enrolled student. This girl never attended classes here," said Malaba.

The senior teacher involved in the forgery confessed to their role, and police apprehended Alice Sibanda, who was fined for providing false information.

Further investigations into the matter exposed corruption within the Tsholotsho Civil Registry Department. A staff member resigned in July this year after numerous bribery allegations surfaced, marking the third resignation in a year. Clients reported paying bribes ranging from 300 to 400 rand to expedite document processing.

One former registry office employee is alleged to have amassed significant wealth, including a 14-room mansion in Tsholotsho. The revelations have sparked calls for a comprehensive lifestyle audit of current and former staff members.

The Hadebe family continues to demand justice and answers regarding Sinqobile's abduction and the forged documents. They are particularly concerned that no expert assessment has been conducted to determine whether Sinqobile was subjected to further abuse during her ordeal.

"We are happy she is home, but what happened to her during those four years? Why has the woman who did this not been arrested? We need closure," said Hadebe.

As investigations continue, the case has cast a spotlight on systemic corruption and the vulnerabilities in Zimbabwe's civil registry system, raising questions about the safeguards in place to prevent such abuses in the future.