Dumped as a baby, wanted back as a teen

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A PENHALONGA woman has accused her daughter of attempting to forcibly reclaim a child she allegedly abandoned more than a decade ago.
Appearing before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, Grace Jekwa testified that she single handedly raised her granddaughter for the past 14 years after her daughter, Chiedza Matangira, allegedly deserted the baby in 2011 and fled to South Africa without informing the family.
Matangira failed to appear in court.
Jekwa told the court that the situation has become more complicated following Matangira’s remarriage and the death of the child’s biological father.
“The father of the child is now late, and my daughter has remarried. Now she wants the child after all these years, and what is even more surprising is that she is attempting to take the child without informing me,” she said.
She further alleged that Matangira has been making secret attempts to take the child during her absence.
“My daughter comes when I am not around and tries to snatch the child. She wants to take her away without my consent, as if I am a stranger,” Jekwa lamented.
Adding to her fears, Jekwa said the paternal family has also begun making moves to claim the child.
“The late father’s older brother is also coming behind my back. He buys the child fast foods and school uniforms without telling me. He gives her money and tells her not to tell me,” she said.
Jekwa said such actions have left her terrified that the child could be taken away at any moment.
“I am now afraid they will take this child from me. They might take her from school without my knowledge,” she said.
She told the court that she struggled for years without support.
“I raised this child from six-months-old when life was very difficult. Neither the mother nor the paternal family helped me. Now that the child is grown, they all want her,” she said.
Jekwa also expressed shock that her daughter had taken the matter to the civil courts without first approaching her.
“My daughter sued me at the civil court, saying she wants her child back. Is that fair? Why would she approach the court without talking to me?” she asked.
She recalled that the child was barely six months old when Matangira disappeared, leaving the baby in the care of minor siblings without explanation.
“I came back home and found that my daughter had dumped her baby with young children. She did not explain anything. She just vanished,” Jekwa told the court.
At the time, the family feared the worst.
“We thought she had committed suicide because life was hard for her. The next day we found milk and clothes for the baby hidden under the bed. That is when we realised she had planned everything,” Jekwa said, adding that it took them several days before the truth finally emerged.
“After four days, we were told that she had arrived in Rustenburg in South Africa, where my brother was staying. It was only later that her friend told us the truth, that my daughter had said she would come back the next day to collect the baby’s clothes, and that nobody should tell me because she feared I would follow her,” said the woman.
Jekwa said Matangira stayed in South Africa for a year before returning home, but even then, she did not reclaim her child.
“She came back after a year, but she did not take her baby. I continued staying with my granddaughter, feeding her, sending her to school and caring for her,” she said.
However, the abandonment left lasting scars on their relationship.
“From that day, my relationship with my daughter was never repaired. Bad blood is still there up to today,” said Jekwa, insisting she was not refusing to hand over the child, but wanted the process handled respectfully.
“I know the child is not mine. If she comes to me properly and talks to me, I would not refuse. But this way of doing things is painful,” said Jekwa.
She further accused both her daughter and the paternal uncle of undermining her authority.
“They go to the child’s school behind my back and give her food. I am afraid one day she will not come home,” she said.
Chief Mutasa acknowledged the emotional weight of the case, and urged dialogue rather than confrontation.
“The mother has sole custody of her child since the father is deceased. However, this uncle has no right to take the child from you,” he said.
He warned the paternal family against unlawful actions.
“If anyone steals this child, they will be arrested,” he said firmly.
However, he also emphasised the importance of communication between mother and daughter.
“You need to find common ground with your daughter – approach her and talk about what is best for this child. Let her see that you have been acting in the child’s best interests,” he said.
Chief Mutasa said the matter could not be resolved without family engagement. “This is a family issue that needs a family solution. We will hold a closed-door meeting involving you, your daughter and the in-laws so that everyone speaks openly. This child has grown under your care. Any decision must protect her emotional and physical well-being until she turns 18,” he said.
Chief Mutasa said the child’s welfare must remain the central concern.
The court adjourned the matter to allow for a private family meeting.