Bongani Ndlovu
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
A whistleblower whose tip-off led to the discovery of an abducted two-year-old toddler, Asanda Ndlovu and the arrest of a female suspect on Thursday revealed dramatic scenes that unfolded moments before authorities moved in.
Asanda was abducted at Meikles Mall on Tuesday, was found in the company of the suspect at a small businesses flat along Herbert Chitepo Street following information supplied to police. The whistleblower said suspicions were raised after noticing inconsistencies in the woman’s explanation about the child’s identity and behaviour.
“She knocked in my offices and I noticed that she had a little girl. I allowed them in before offering her a chair,” said the whistleblower who runs a small business in the city, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He said the female suspect started to narrate her story, telling him that she wanted to briefly leave the toddler in his office who will be picked by her father who was just across the street.
“Look I didn’t know the lady yet here she was, entrusting the child’s custody to me. I looked at the child and some resemblance struck, she looked similar to photos circulating in newspapers and social media,” said the whistleblower.
He said he briefly left his office to call an elderly female member to bear witness to the unfolding drama.
“I briefed my neighbour that I suspected the little girl was the missing one and when she saw the child, like me, she was convinced it was her,” said the whistleblower.
He said while they were still talking the suspect asked to go to the toilet.
“With my suspicions, I could not take any chances, so I asked my neighbour to accompany her and make sure she returned.
Upon their return I grabbed my keys, locked the office and went out,” he said.
The whistleblower said he tried to call the mother of the child, but her phone was not going through, which was then that he decided to go to the scene of the crime, Meikles Mall.
At the mall, he met two technicians from a Fawcett Security Zimbabwe, Mr Luke White and Casper Bota, specialists in installing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).
“The informer said he suspected the toddler was somewhere at a flat but wanted to get a closer view of the CCTV footage. We showed the informer a clearer footage and he confirmed that it was her he had seen. We immediately contacted CID Homicide who sprang to action and drove to the flat and true to the informant, the toddler was found,” said Mr Botha.
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