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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The trial of a suspected human trafficking mastermind, who reportedly paid a woman R25 000 in exchange for her two-day-old baby to be smuggled to Australia, has opened.
Janet Marimo allegedly conspired with Pauline Maganga, the infant’s mother, to traffic the child to Australia. Maganga was jailed for 10 years in May this year by Harare Magistrates Court for her part in the deal.
Now Marimo is appearing before magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei charged with human trafficking. She pleaded not guilty.
Maganga told the court that she started to chat with Marimo on Facebook in connection with child adoption in March last year and was made to join the group administered by Marimo. “In that group, there were six active members all females, including myself, and it had two female members from South Africa, two females from the United States, Janet Marimo and myself from Zimbabwe.”
Maganga, when she was six months pregnant, then sent a message to the group informing them that she not in a position to look after herself and even the unborn child due to lack of resources.
“All the group members responded to my message. They were all willing to look after me during my pregnancy, to meet the hospital bills, and then take the child after birth for adoption.
“Marimo then came to my inbox advising me that I must not give the other group members my child since they would take my child for organ donations. She emphasised that I was supposed to give her my child after birth and we agreed.”
Maganga told the court that on June 27 last year, she went to Far East Hospital in Johannesburg to deliver her child and this is where she met Marimo physically for the first time.
“Since I was a foreigner I was supposed to pay R2 800 for the hospital bills to be given the child’s birth card and birth record. But Marimo on that day gave me R1 000 to pay and the balance of R1 800 was supposed to be paid by the end of July.
” I was only given the child’s birth card and I was told that I would collect the child’s birth record after paying the balance,” she explained to the court.
After the child’s birth, Maganga agreed that Marimo would pay her R25 000 and then take the child for adoption, an obligation that was fulfilled. According to prosecutor Mr Tendai Tapi, the arrangement was for Maganga to obtain the baby’s birth certificate by October 29, but she did not fulfil this requirement.
This situation led Marimo to enter the country illegally with the baby. She was apprehended in Waterfalls on November 27.
Upon learning of Marimo’s arrest, Maganga returned to Zimbabwe on December 12. The child is now in the care of the Department of Social Welfare.
Online Reporter