Online Reporter
Belindah Chikandiwa
Zimpapers Reporter
MIDLANDS Provincial Police have launched a city-wide manhunt for a female two-month-old infant following a brazen abduction in the city centre on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately midday outside a retail store on Main Street.
According to police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the child’s mother, Faith Jakaza (26), had briefly left the infant in the care of her six-year-old sister on a storefront veranda.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the mother had just finished breastfeeding and stepped away for a few minutes to a nearby fruit vendor,” Inspector Mahoko stated. “Upon her return, the child was missing.”
A rapid search of the immediate area by the distressed mother and members of the public failed to locate the infant.
Inspector Mahoko has issued a direct appeal for public assistance, urging anyone with information to come forward.
“We are following several lines of inquiry to locate the child and apprehend the individual responsible,” he said.
“We are urging anyone who was in the vicinity of Edgars Stores around midday on Tuesday, and who may have witnessed anything suspicious, to contact their nearest police station immediately.”
The police spokesperson also issued a stern warning to parents and guardians, emphasising the critical need for constant vigilance in public spaces.
“It is imperative that young children and infants are kept under direct supervision at all times, especially in crowded public areas. We cannot afford to lower our guard, even for a moment.”
This case is similar incident from March of this year, in which a two-year-old girl was taken from a vehicle outside Gweru Provincial Hospital. Authorities state these events highlight a continuing public safety concern.
The police investigation is ongoing.
