Baby boy dies on street pavement while mother attending to a client

A seven-month old baby boy died mysteriously while sleeping on the street pavement while its mother, an airtime vendor was attending to a client.

The incident, which witnesses are now suspecting to be an act of Satanism, occurred yesterday morning along Gweru's Third Street just outside Kudzanayi Long Distance Bus Terminus.

The minor, identified as Francis Favour Hove, was said to have bled from the nose and mouth just before he died.

When the Chronicle news team arrived at the scene at around 12.30 pm, the minor's body had just been taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary.

Members of the public were still gathered at the scene as they tried to come to terms with the boy's mysterious death.

The boy's mother, identified as Ms Jennifer Chatora, had also been taken to Gweru Police Station for recording of statements.

Witnesses said the mother had laid the child at its traditional place on the pavement while conducting her business. When she checked on the baby, she discovered that he had died.

The witnesses said the boy was found with blood oozing through the nose and mouth allegedly after a young woman in school uniform who had been standing beside the boy, just vanished.

"There was a young woman who was putting on a school uniform who came and stood besides the boy. The boy was sleeping on the pavement. The woman then requested airtime worth $1 from the now deceased boy's mother. The lady had a $10 note. Ms Chatora, who had no change, then rushed to look for some change at a newspaper vendor who was across the road but when she came back, she found that the woman had vanished, leaving behind her $9 change," said the witness, a cobbler who operates near Ms Chatora's base.

Another witness said after Ms Chatora failed to locate the mysterious woman, she decided to take her drinking water container, which was besides her baby. The witness said that is when she discovered that there was blood coming out of the boy's mouth and nose.

"She screamed after she tried to wake up the boy only to discover that he had died," said the witness.

The shocked Ms Chatora failed to give this reporter an interview and instead handed over her mobile phone to her uncle, Mr Garikai Kuretu.

Mr Kuretu who gave collaborative information with the witnesses said they were still shocked with the sudden death of the boy. He said the boy was quite healthy before he met his fate.

Mr Kuretu said he suspected that the incident was an act of Satanism. He said they were now waiting for a post-mortem after taking the boy's body to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary.

"We are very much saddened by the mysterious death of the boy who was healthy. This has been Ms Chatora's traditional place of operation and she has been leaving the boy on the pavement while she conducted her airtime vending business since the boy was just a month old. We are still to come to terms with what occurred and we are eagerly waiting for a post-mortem," he said.

Acting police spokesperson for Midlands, Assistant Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the sudden death incident yesterday.

Asst Insp Mahoko could, however, not give further details saying police were still investigating the case.

"We can only confirm that we received a report of sudden death which occurred at Kudzanayi Bus Terminus. We are still in the process of gathering facts and it would be hasty to comment on the matter at the moment," he said.