POLICE in South Africa have arrested two Zimbabwean women for allegedly abducting three minors in the neighbouring country.
In a statement on Wednesday this week, the South African Police Services (Saps) said Grace Gumbo and Mercy Tsoko allegedly abducted the children in South Africa and were arrested on New Year’s day.
Gumbo and Tsoko appeared at the Kriel Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday this week for alleged child abduction and contravening the country’s Immigration Act.
“Two female Zimbabwean based Grace Gumbo (26) and Mercy Tsoko (28) are expected to appear again at the Kriel Magistrates’ Court for the second time today on charges of child abduction and contravention of the Immigration Act of South Africa,” partly reads the Saps statement.
“Their appearance is in connection with a case where(by) a four-months-old baby girl was abducted at Thubelihle in Kriel on Thursday, 28 December 2023. The suspects were arrested on New Year’s day and it is alleged that they abducted a total of three children. Police [were tipped off by] community members about the two women who were pretending to be caregivers who were roaming around Ogies with three babies.”
Saps details in Kriel swiftly responded to the information and arrested the two, They reportedly found them with three children, two baby girls and a boy.
“The two were reportedly cornered in shacks in Ogies. It was during this period when the astute members discovered that, besides the four-months-old girl, there was a baby boy who is believed to be three years old and it is suspected that the child was also abducted at Marble Hall in April 2023.
“As if that was not enough, another baby girl believed to be eight-months-old was found as well during the arrest of the two. This child also is believed to have been abducted at Springs in September 2023 allegedly by the two women,” the statement said.
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Saps called on local community members to help the police to locate the families of two other children from Marble Hall and Springs.
