Trusted Reports: Human trafficking engulfs South Africa: trade in black babies to US: Mozambican woman charged in Nelspruit, Lesotho woman charged in Welkom

Human Trafficking is Engulfing South African, warns SA opposition party the Democratic Alliance. Accuses the SA government of 'failing dismally to assist human trafficking victims". (It has also been noticed that it is relatively easy to steal babies from maternity wards in South Africa. A case in Kempton Park on September 7 2013 noted that a young woman had little difficulty in walking up to a mother at the hospital and stealing her baby away from her.) --------------------------- Thursday, 22 August 2013 James Masango, MPL spokesman for social development of the Democratic Alliance party, telephone 082 891 0717, warns that 'human trafficking is engulfing South Africa: Mpumalanga province borders two African countries and is no exception. "The DA is concerned about the Mpumalanga provincial government's 'self-imposed target to assist 21 victims of human trafficking a year: and even worse, it has only managed to help five victims all told. Mpumalanga borders two African countries and is undoubtedly vulnerable to human traffickers, and authorities have to deal with the perpetrators and victims. Apart from the criminal element, human trafficking has serious social consequences for victims who are usually physically and mentally traumatised and require medical and psychological treatment after being rescued. Given the magnitude and repercussions of the problem, it does not make sense that the Mpumalanga government only aims to rehabilitate 21 human trafficking victims this financial year. Furthermore, it aimed to rehabilitate a mere five victims in the first quarter yet shockingly wasn’t even able to meet this miniscule target. These stats certainly beg the question whether the department is taking this serious matter seriously. He said: "Earlier this year the national government committed itself to fighting human trafficking after President Jacob Zuma signed the new Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill. This Bill provides a single statute to tackle human trafficking holistically and comprehensively and was praised by NGO’s and law-enforcement authorities. This new legislation creates an offence of trafficking in persons as well as specific offences such as debt bondage, possessing and destroying or tampering with travel documents. It also provides a maximum penalty of R100-million or life imprisonment or both in the case of a conviction. But the real beauty about this Bill is that it also caters for the victims, making it law to provide them with protection and assistance to overcome their traumatic experiences. Judging from the department of Mpumalanga province's Social Development’s latest report it seems to not be adhering to this law. The excuse that there are not social workers to assist is not acceptable given that there are many qualified social workers in the province who were promised jobs by on accepting a government study bursary yet remain unemployed. Surely these individuals could be absorbed by the system to helpwith the human trafficking situation. "The DA will write to the MEC for Social Development, Candith Mashego-Dlamini, questioning the low target and what preparations have been done by the department to effectively implement and enforce this bill. Furthermore as per the quarterly report, victims must be placed in rehabilitation programmes. The DA wants to know whether such programmes exist and if so where are they available and what do they entail? Human trafficking is immoral, undignified and barbaric and everyone, especially government, should play a role in curtailing it and helping those who have been affected by it. The example comes from the top and until the Mpumalanga government takes this matter seriously innocent people, babies and children included, will continue to suffer." James Masango MPL, telephone South Africa 082 891 0717, and DA media-manager Mpumalanga Willie Venter: 082 319 6666 http://www.da-mpu.co.za/newsroom/press-releases/830-222813.html -------------------------- BELOW ARE TWO RECENT CASES OF BABIES BEING TRAFFICKED: 1. Lesotho woman arrested for kidnapping baby Deneo Seobi, 8mos: who was reunited with family in Welkom: a 28-year-old woman from Lesotho under arrest for child-stealing: (pictures): ------------ Story by: the SAPS Journal Online: reporter: SAPS captain S Thakeng: --------- 'On 12 August 2013 Mrs Motshidisi Seob 21, with her child Dineo Seobi, eight months, was approached by an unknown woman while she was at her residence at C-hostel in Thabong, Welkom. The woman promised her employment in Welkom's central business district. The two women travelled from Thabong to the Total Garage in Stateway, Welkom. Little Deneo then was stolen under the pretence that "the mother will be provided with employment." The SAPS worked around the clock to ensure that the suspect was brought to book. A tip-off was followed up by members of the Welkom Social Crime Prevention until the child was found at Esperanza farm, Welkom district. The child was found and handed back to her parents. This followed after the tip off was received on 16 August 2013 by Lt. Lydia Tsoai the Sector Commander of Phomolong Village. The investigator Warrant Officer Moyane Monei, Welkom Social Crime Prevention personnel under the leadership of Captain Limakatso Qakoshe and members of Tactical Response Team followed up information to the farm Esperanza in Welkom district. "A number of Lesotho men ran away from the house as police approached: ' A house was identified and approached at the farm, then a number of Lesotho men ran away from the house. While the house was searched a child was found hidden beneath a blanket and she was identified as little Dineo: Mrs Seobi was fetched and identified the child as hers, as did the father of the child, Mr Thapelo Mosidi: the SAPS reports that 'he could not hold back his tears when she was reunited with her child Dineo." A 28-year-old woman from Lesotho was arrested for child stealing. She will appear soon in Welkom Court. The clothing that the suspect was wearing when the child was stolen, was also seized. “I am very proud of all members who were involved in ensuring that the perpetrator of this heinous crime of child stealing in brought to book to face the might of the law. My appreciation also goes to residents who gave information which led to the arrest of the suspect. This is an indication that the residents are sick and tired of crime in their residential areas” says the Station Commander of Welkom, Brigadier Mzondi Mojafi. Report by SAPS captain S. Thakeng Cellphone 079 528 4811 http://www.sapsjournalonline.gov.za/dynamic/journal_dynamic.aspx?pageid=414&jid=26954 ==================== Mozambican woman Elizabeth Gwambe, on trial in Nelspruit, South Africa for trafficking babies: social workers and police investigators claim she can buy a black SA baby for $200 (US) - and can sell it for up to $30,000 (US). Does the US celebrity rage to adopt black African babies fuel child trafficking? ------------------ (background: "Adoption Trade Sets Up Shop in Africa' - http://www.libertyandhumanity.com/themes/human-trafficking/adoption-trade-sets-up-shop-in-africa/ --------------------- (reports)"concern over Africa adoption rise": In the past eight years, international adoptions increased by almost 400%, the African Child Policy Forum has found."Africa is becoming the new frontier for inter-country adoption," the Addis Ababa-based group said.But many African countries do not have adequate safeguards in place to protect the children being adopted, it warns. The majority of so-called orphans adopted from Africa have at least one living parent and many children are trafficked or sold by their parents, the child expert group says. More than 41,000 African children have been adopted and taken out of home countries since 2004, the ACPF report says.More than two thirds of the total in 2009 and 2010 were adopted from Ethiopia, which now sends more children abroad for adoption than any other country, apart from China."Compromising children's best interests while undertaking inter-country adoption is likely and adoption can become a vast, profit-driven, industry with children as the commodity," the African Child Policy Forum report said.The group's director, David Mugawe, said that adoption in some parts of Africa had indeed become a business."It's got an element where adoption has now become commercialised. And so it's an industry that some orphanages are benefiting [from] - and they are promoting adoption basically to be able to sustain and maintain the orphanages," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.He said large sums of money were sometimes being paid by prospective parents."There was a lady who worked with the American embassy in Uganda and she mentioned the figures ranged between $10,000 to $30,000," Mr Mugawe said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18248007 ---------------"Is international adoption an ethical business?' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18506474 --------------------------------- Protecting children from orphan dealers in Africa: http://www.irinnews.org/report/84582/west-africa-protecting-children-from-orphan-dealers -------------------- 16 August 2013 - A Mozambican woman in the Nelspruit region, Elizabeth Gwambe, is being accused of trafficking babies - buying them for R2,000 and reselling them for R300,000 -- by a social worker who cannot be identified because of the ongoing investigation, writes Tereasa Ferrari in Nelspruit. Gwambe was charged in the Nelspruit court after her arrest in December 2011. One of the victims told the social worker that Gwambe "had bragged about paying approximately R2 000 per child and selling them for up to R300 000." Her trial will begin on October 21 2013, reports Ferrari - as she had to have her whole case restarted due to her previous defence attorney, Mr MC Mabunda, withdrawing after she blamed him for changing her plea. A new attorney still has to be appointed. She was arrested in December 2011. She was found in a taxi heading to Johannesburg with a baby whom she claimed was hers, confirmed Mpumalanga police spokesman Col Leonard Hlathi. "After the baby didn't want to drink milk from Gwambe, her co-passengers became suspicious. They confronted her and reported the matter to police. Hlathi said it later emerged that she supposedly also stole a four-year-old boy and placed him with her neighbours in Johannesburg. She remains in custody. ------------------------- Mozambican woman Elizabeth Gwambe 42, charged with trafficking scores of babies: trafficking fuelled by celebrity-rage to adopt black babies in Africa? ------------------------------- http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/lowveld/lowveld-news-general?oid=7706704&sn=Detail&pid=490165&Woman-alleged-to-buy-and-sell-babies-for-profit --------------------------"Trafficking babies linked to increase in international adoptions of children from Africa" The United Nations' latest report on human-trafficked babies is that during 2004 and 2012, the number of "'international adoptions of children from Africa has increased by nearly 400 per cent. In total, the number of those who were adopted from countries in Africa by parents in others during the eight years was over 41,000. Reported prices paid to adoption agencies in Africa are between US $10 000 to $30 000. Experts report that many of the orphans actually have at least one living parent and were taken by child traffickers or sold by their parents." It has become a fashion-rage amongst US celebrities to adopt 'black orphans' from Africa and this (perceived) new fashion' is also partially driving the growing trafficking trade in black babies. Recently the well-known South African Hollywood celebrity Charlene Theron adopted a black baby in Malawi. Huffington Post journalist Kristen Howerten https://twitter.com/kristenhowerton investigated this apparent 'trend of international multiracial adoptions' and writes: "It also bears noting that there are many African-American celebrities who have adopted black children as well: Shonda Rhimes, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, and Reverend Run, to name a few." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-howerton/celebrity-adoption_b_1579737.html -------------- South Africa's child kidnapping gangs Ever since March 2010 before the start of the World Cup 2010 FIFA footbal tournaments in South Africa, there has been an upsurge of reported attempted kidnappings. And also many reports of the police rescuing very young children from child-slavery gangs. These gangs, mostly Nigerians, have since that time became much more organised and powerful, and today they move the kidnapped youngsters from town to town, trading them between brothels and even exporting them to foreign countries inside shipping containers. There is no doubt that such Nigerian child-snatchers would also have links to orphanages which are willing to offer babies up for sale, and with purchasers overseas of such babies - as they have become international crime syndicates, operating in Europe, Africa and the Far East. (reports below) -------------------------- A young Afrikaans mom was accosted while returning from the supermarket with her child in a stroller by a man who dragged the mom to a tree, tied her up by an arm, while also frantically trying to grab her baby away from her. The mom hung on to her child’s arms for dear life, screaming loudly. A passerby was alerted and grappled with the man while the mom was able to run away to a nearby school, clutching her child to her breast. Pretoria mom fights off baby snatcher ---------------------------------- n February 2010, a group of Krugersdorp cops also dedicated their vacation time to cycle between local community centres on an educational lecture tour to inform parents and teachers about the methods of child-kidnapping gangs who often hang around schools to spot kidnapping opportunities. Picture from their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=mf&gid=315554092986 ----------------------------------- Police warn of child-kidnappers lurking near Bloemfontein primary schools March 26 2010 - Bloemfontein journalist Karen Ebersohn wrote that police captain Chaka Marope issued dire warnings to local parents – and redistributed rapidly by email - that dangerous groups of kidnappers are lurking around the primary schools looking to kidnap children. Policing agencies worldwide also warned in the runup to the WC2010 that many international people-smuggling syndicates were kidnapping or coercing young children from across southern Africa and even as far away as Nigeria, Portugal and Eastern Europe -- to force them into brutal sex-slavery brothels in South Africa.Bloemfontein police were searching for a specific car which was seen lurking around the schools – a silver Toyota Corolla 2003/4 model with PNW 886 GP registration plates and darkened windows they said in a warning email circulated to parents. The car was spotted around all the local primary schools and two incidents of attempted kidnapping of small girls was reported to police.Frichardtpark -frikaans primary school headmaster Johan du Preez also said there was a similar incident at his school when a girl-prefect was walking home at 14:15. “An older bakkie with two people inside stopped next to her and tried to talk to her but she ignored them. Then one climbed out and chased her but the girl managed to outrun the man.”The suspect Corolla also was noted around their school. Emails have been sent out to parents and the school has tightened its security measures; closing all the school-gates strictly within 15 minutes of opening times – and unknown visitors required to identify themselves to security guards before they are allowed to enter the school grounds. Pupils have also been alerted to the dangers and warned not to speak to any strangers outside the school and to always move about in groups together when at the grounds and when travelling between their homes and the school. Park Road police can be contacted at telephone 051-507-6000 if anybody spots anything suspicious at all”. – Volksblad http://www.volksblad.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/2114/597850f9e1e44b7bb3e5e840f9b21799/19-02-2010-04-23/E-pos_oor_mense_wat_kinders_wil_ontvoer,_hou_steek ----------------------------- Guard your children like gold at malls and sporting events, warns Missing children organisation-- Nana Rechner of The Pink Ladies Organisation for Missing Children in South Africa has also issued warnings to local parents – to guard their children at all sporting events and at malls: advising parents who do take their children out in public to tag them – for instance by writing a cellphone number on the children’s arm with a kogi pen, and also tagging the children with name, address and cell phone number; and to rather not take children along to shopping malls at all: “rather leave them at home with someone reliable.” Their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?drop&ref=mb#!/group.php?gid=84720800513 ------------------------------- The Bloemfontein apartment complex where the 12 sex-slaves were rescued – and which before 1994 housed the city’s working class young white families – has now become a haven for drug-dealers, mostly illegal migrants from other African countries, living on the proceeds of crime in very vile living conditions with many migrant families at the total mercy of abusive landlords. Raided were the Tuishuis, Aliwal and Belmar Court apartment buildings – and which also at the same time were condemned as being too dangerous for human occupancy, writes Volksblad. During the raids, ten young abused girls, some as young as 16 years, were discovered – and several days later two more girls also managed to escape and reported to the investigating police. They had all just been smuggled with promises of legal jobs from Lesotho and Johannesburg and pressed into sex-slavery this week. Police Captain Harry Nagel said the girls had pleaded with the police to help them. The children had been brought from Lesotho and Johannesburg on Wednesday- and Thursday nights and put up in brothels run by an organised group of Nigerian men, he said. Some of the girls said their parents don’t even know where they are and they want to be reunited with their families. Nagel said the girls are receiving help from the an expert organisation dealing with such problems: the Mensehandel forum. The sex-slavers themselves however had absconded and are still missing, he added. Nagel said similar raids will be carried out until the child-sex slavery rings have all been eradicated in the city. “We want to send out the message that Bloemfontein won’t serve as the base for any kind of criminal activities” he said. Meanwhile profiles of all the girls found to be ‘working’ for these men have also been drawn up – and these profiles will assist the police in establishing links to other child-sex traders. This week an illigal migrant from Malawi was also arrested at Belmar Court. The municipal officials who accompanied the police have also said none of the three buildings are deemed fit and safe for human habitation and will be locked down. ---------------------------- Police abuse girls in the sex-trade: Meanwhile Volksblad has also revealed another disturbing feature of this terrifying human trafficking industry: while large units from the SAPS were getting ready to carry out the raids on the buildings, Volksblad photographers also photographed two uniformed police officers emerging with a ‘sex-worker’ from one of the buildings… and while these two uniformed policemen were getting into their police van they also tried to stop Volksblad from photographing them. One of the girls’ friends said these “policemen had been at the building to do (sex) business’. In an earlier report this week Volksblad had also revealed that at least a dozen members of the local constabulary force were frequenting these brothels and often brutally beat the girls if they didn’t give them sex for free. The girls had become so terrified of all police as a result that they had initially been too scared to lodge formal charges. Volksblad the link then was located on http://www.volksblad.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/2114/0c4df83bf2854134b23d6a0d986e9e6e/13-02-2010-05-52/Polisie_red_10_meisies_uit_sekshel -- However the Naspers group has since then changed its website and removed its archives, changing their names. One might find the story by searching for ... "Polisie Red 10 Meisies uit Sekshell dated 13 February 2010 in Volksblad ' --------------------------- Man tries to kidnap Afrikaans toddler from fierce Klerksdorp grandmother 2010-02-10 Klerksdorp. – A 5-year-old Afrikaans girl was saved from a kidnapper by her 73-year-old grandmother – who kept clutching the child, screaming loudly that the child was being kidnapped – and fighting back against the man who was trying to grab her beloved grandchild from her in broad daylight. The family’s name is being withheld for security reasons – they are well-known local residents. The grandmother was treated at Wilmed Park private hospital with bruises to her upper body, heart problems and severe shock after the incident at 14:50 in William Street. And the child’s mother issued a warning to all parents: ‘be aware of strangers in your environment.’ The police is however only investigating an ‘attempted robbery:” the child’s cellphone was picked up when it fell from a pocket during the struggle. There is a sudden surge of attempted kidnappings this month.Earlier a young Afrikaans mom had been accosted while returning from the supermarket with her child in a stroller by a man who had dragged the mom to a tree, tied her up by her neck and tried to grab the child away from her. In this case the mother also put up a fierce fight – and in both cases the kidnappings were thwarted by passersby. The LKlerksdorp grandmother said yesterday from her hospital bed that she ‘didn’t know where she’d found the strength’ to defend her grandchild from the kidnapper. “We had gone for a walk. An unknown man came and stood in front of us stopping us with his body from continuing our walk while asking for the street name. I answered and wanted to continue, holding my granddaughter and the next moment he grabbed her. I clawed to her and screamed. I know at once stage we both fell down.”The grandmother is no stranger to violence: a year earlier she had been attacked at her previous home and nearly murdered – the attacker had shoved his fist into her mouth at that time in his attempt to smother her. Since that time she’s been staying with her daughter and son-in-law. A woman who happened to drive past while the struggle with the kidnappr was going on immediately turned her car around and drove towards them – and the man then ran away. The grandmother told the newspaper that she then saw the fleeing man jump into a ‘bottle-blue car’ with three other men which then drove off.’ Te family is full of praise for the unknown woman who was ‘brave enough to get involved and thus prevented a possible tragedy,’ said the child’s mother. “the entire family has been traumatised by this. My daughter now wants to only sleep in her baby bed and she’s terrifed. My eight-year-old son refused to go to school on Tuesday. Be aware of strangers in your environment. God has saved my child and we must all pray that this evil will disappear from our city, ‘ said the mother. The man managed to pick up a cellphone which had fallen from the child’s pocket during the struggle. Police inspector Wilmarie van der Merwe said the only thing they are investigating is ‘an attempted robbery.’ http://www.nuus24.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1479/d964735a81ae4c05b47ab4b46a35eacf/10-02-2010-06-49/Man_probeer_5-jarige_in_ryk_buurt_ontvoer_ http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2010/06/afrikaans-children-targets-of.html ---------------------------- Afrikaner mom in Pretoria puts up ferocious fight against black male baby-snatcher: 2010-05-31 Virginia Keppler, Beeld - Pretoria - A young mother from Mooikloof east of Pretoria screamed hysterically while she clung to the feet of her two-year-old son to prevent a man from grabbing him through her broken car window. According to the mother, a 22-year-old psychology student who was too scared to be identified, her child's whole body was already out the window when she grabbed his foot. Her mother, 42, said on Sunday that her daughter had stopped behind another car at a red light in De Villebois Mareuil Drive between 18:00 and 18:30 on Friday night. Police confirmed that a man came from behind her vehicle 'but she thought it was a begga. Kepler quotes the weeping grandmother as saying : "her doors were locked and her window was closed. She said the man walked up to the front window on the passenger side and looked into the car. "The baby was lying on the front seat and was fastened with the safety belt. He was about to fall asleep when the man broke the window with a spark plug and grabbed him. My daughter got hold of one of his feet and pulled him back. "She kept screaming while she clung to her baby's foot. She said: 'Mamma, God was in the car and helped me pull because I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own.' She said no one, not even the people in the car in front of her, tried to help her. While the mother and the man fought over the child, she kept screaming. "The man must have gotten a fright because he let go of the baby and ran off. My daughter immediately drove to our house in Garsfontein (in eastern Pretoria). She called me on the phone and shouted: 'Open the gate!' When she got here, she and the baby were crying. My grandchild was covered in shards of glass." She said her grandchild had definitely been the target, as her daughter's laptop and handbag on the back seat had been left untouched."My grandchild is now too scared to get into a car. He can't sleep and keeps saying 'please don't take me'. "I think until the soccer (WC2010 world football tournament in SA) is over, children aren't safe. We want to warn people to be careful with their children." Police Warrant Officer Duane Lightfoot said police responded to the scene. A case of malicious injury to property and assault were investigated. A special task force was also set up by the SAPS five months ago which also concentrates on rescuing children from kidnapping gangs. The SAPS warns ‘parents 'to make every attempt to fetch their children from school themselves whenever possible and to be very alert." The children are kidnapped for several aims: either to demand extortion money from the parents; or for the sex-slavery trade; with youngsters lured with job-promises and then forced into drug-addiction and prostitution. http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2010/05/news-may-31-2010.html http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Mom-fights-off-child-snatcher-20100531 ------------ Poor Afrikaner whites vulnerable to baby-snatchers: There was a wave of attempted and successful kidnappings from white squatter camps before and during the World Cup 2010 soccer tournaments in South Africa. These unprotected, impoverished, vulnerable Afrikaner children are already waging a grim battle for survival in a tucked-away, unprotected squatter camps in Gauteng. in 2010 the executive director of the Helpende Hand charity warned that these children, are being greatly endangered by child-sex slavery kidnapping syndicates. In South Africa there's an additional danger: , babies and toddlers often also are kidnapped to harvest their body parts for the manufacture of good-luck medicine or muti, the so-called ‘traditional medicine’, and this 'muti' showed an upsurge in popularity as 'good luck medicine' during WC2010. Ever since March 2010 there was an upsurge of reported attempted kidnappings: also of very young babies. A young Afrikaans mom was accosted while returning from the supermarket with her child in a stroller by a black man who dragged the mom to a tree, tied her up by an arm, while also frantically trying to grab her baby away from her. The mom hung on to her child’s arms for dear life, screaming loudly. A passerby was alerted and grappled with the man while the mom was able to run away to a nearby school, clutching her child to her breast. Pretoria mom fights off baby snatcher http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.nl/2010/06/afrikaans-children-targets-of.html ------------- Mom fights off baby/snatcher 2010-05-31 Virginia Keppler, Beeld - Pretoria - A young mother from Mooikloof east of Pretoria screamed hysterically while she clung to the feet of her two-year-old son to prevent a man from grabbing him through her broken car window. According to the mother, a 22-year-old psychology student who was too scared to be identified, her child's whole body was already out the window when she grabbed his foot. Her mother, 42, said on Sunday that her daughter had stopped behind another car at a red light in De Villebois Mareuil Drive between 18:00 and 18:30 on Friday night. * "A man came from behind her vehicle but she thought it was a beggar. Her doors were locked and her window was closed," the crying grandmother told Keppler. She said the man walked up to the front window on the passenger side and looked into the car. NOT ONE PERSON TRIED TO HELP THE YOUNG MOM` "The baby was lying on the front seat and was fastened with the safety belt. He was about to fall asleep when the man broke the window with a spark plug and grabbed him. My daughter got hold of one of his feet and pulled him back."She kept screaming while she clung to her baby's foot. She said: 'Mamma, God was in the car and helped me pull because I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own.'"She said no one, not even the people in the car in front of her, tried to help her.While the mother and the man fought over the child, she kept screaming."The man must have gotten a fright because he let go of the baby and ran off. My daughter immediately drove to our house in Garsfontein (in eastern Pretoria). She called me on the phone and shouted: 'Open the gate!' When she got here, she and the baby were crying. My grandchild was covered in shards of glass." Laptop, handbag untouched She said her grandchild had definitely been the target, as her daughter's laptop and handbag on the back seat had been left untouched."My grandchild is now too scared to get into a car. He can't sleep and keeps saying 'please don't take me'."I think until the soccer is over, children aren't safe. We want to warn people to be careful with their children." Police Warrant Officer Duane Lightfoot said police responded to the scene. A case of malicious injury to property and assault were being investigated. --------- http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Mom-fights-off-child-snatcher-20100531 ------------------ It seems relatively easy to steal a baby from Tembisa hospital in Kempton Park. Ms Tshepo Bertha Lebaka admitted that she had kidnapped a newborn baby from his mother Mercy Mabaso at Tembisa Hospital. As reported on 4 September 2013 by journalist: Malebo Tseke: "The Tembisa Magistrate's Court has again postponed the case against Tshepo Bertha Lebaka, who admitted that she stole a newborn baby boy from his mother at Tembisa Hospital on May 10. The case was postponed to October 1. Tembisa SAPS spokesman Capt Manyadza Ralidzivha confirmed that Ms Lebaka earlier pleaded guilty to the kidnapping. When Lebaka was arrested, she told police she had been 'pressurised by her boyfriend's need for a child." Lebaka was arrested at the Olievenhoutbosch squatter camp on May 23 and the police took the baby to Tembisa Child Welfare. DNA tests verified the paternity of the child and the baby was returned to his biological mother Mrs Mercy Mabaso. During her latest appearance last week Tuesday, the court heard how "Lebaka was not suitable for correctional supervision as a sentence." According to the correctional supervision report accepted by the court, Lebaka was "uncontrollable at home and unstable". It is believed Lebaka lost a child when it was six months old. Correctional services official Tshepo Kola, told the court it would be "difficult for Lebaka to adhere to the conditions of correctional supervision, which come with strict measures of house arrest and regular monitoring." Kola said Lebaka had taken responsibility for her actions -- but should serve time so she could learn a lesson. --------------- http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/kempton-park/kempton-park-news-crime?oid=7753635&sn=Detail&pid=490121&Child-kidnapping-case-postponed