Online Reporter
A MAN has been abusing a number of babies, whom he claims to be his kids, to deceive motorists in the Harare CBD into giving him money.
He lies to the motorists that he urgently needs money to take care of the kids’ “health complications.”
The man uses different kids, according to a woman who was conned by the same trick, before she demanded her money back.
The man, who identified himself as Owen Chakala, claims he is from Hopley even though sources say he is from Epworth.
He is 46.
There is now concern about where Owen has been getting the children he has been abusing.
The kid he was abusing yesterday is aged SIX.
Ordinarily, the kid was supposed to be in school yesterday.
Owen uses a simple trick.
When he spots a motorist to deceive, he orders the kid to drop his head on his shoulders, to appear as if the baby is seriously ill.
He then uses that ‘serious condition’ to appeal for a helping hand from the motorist.
Just after receiving money, Owen then orders the kid to lift his head from his shoulders and, suddenly, the baby looks fine once again.
H-Metro tracked Owen around the Harare CBD yesterday.
We observed all his tricks and saw him in action as he duped a number of motorists.
We heard him tell a number of motorists different stories about where he stays.
He told one motorist that he stays in Ruwa, the other motorist was told that he stays in Hatcliffe while the third motorist was told that he stays in Mbare.
There was one story which was, however, constant — that his baby was seriously ill and he was coming from hospital and was short of money for transport and food.
His abuse of the baby came to light when one motorist, identified only as Faith, found out that he was deceiving him.
“This man is seriously abusing that child and, worse off, this is not the same child he was holding last week.
“He could be paying mothers of these minors to help him to beg for money.
“When I asked another woman he had approached, I learnt that he had given her a different location and names and that is how I came to discover his evil deeds.
“I asked him to return my US$14 immediately and he complied,” she said.
Owen spoke to H-Metro:
“To be honest, I am a hard worker but I am failing to get a suitable job,” he said.
“I am a father of four children and the eldest is aged 18.
“I came up with this idea as a way of raising money to feed my family and I have been doing this for some time.
“It is better to beg in this manner than stealing or breaking into other people’s homes.
“I do not want to go to prison when I still have the energy to walk around begging.”
