Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
WHAT should have been a home filled with the cries and laughter of a growing baby has instead become a place of unanswered prayers, endless tears and agonising silence.
For more than a month, every knock on the door, every ringing phone, and every unfamiliar face has raised fresh hope for Mr Time Kamonga and Ms Lynette Mukome that their four-month-old daughter, Tiana, has finally been found. But hope has repeatedly been replaced by heartbreak.
As the young Banket couple desperately searches for their missing child, another painful ordeal has emerged.
Unscrupulous individuals masquerading as prophets and traditional healers have turned the family’s tragedy into a business opportunity, exploiting their desperation and draining the little money they have left.
Instead of receiving comfort, the grieving parents say they have been fed false prophecies, empty promises and expensive lies.
“We are already suffering because our baby is missing, but some people are making our pain worse by taking advantage of us,” said Mr Kamonga, his voice heavy with emotion.
“They know we are desperate. They know we will do anything to find our daughter, and they are using that against us.”
One self-proclaimed traditional healer (name withheld), who advertises his services on national radio, allegedly convinced the family to send him money for transport, promising to travel to Banket and perform rituals that would lead to the baby’s safe return.
The family borrowed and sent the money. But he never arrived.
“We trusted him because he sounded convincing. He later claimed the money only covered tollgate fees and demanded even more. That’s when we realised we had been deceived,” he added.
For the couple, the financial loss is painful, but it pales in comparison to the emotional torment of repeatedly having their hopes raised and crushed.
Despite the setbacks, Mr Kamonga refuses to believe his child is dead.
“I have a strong feeling my daughter is still alive. I believe someone who could not have children may have pretended to be pregnant and taken my baby to raise her as her own. I just want whoever has her to remember that she belongs to a family that loves her and misses her every single day,” the father added.
Baby Tiana disappeared on June 7 after an unidentified woman tricked her 22-year-old mother into leaving the house. Mr Kamonga appealed to anyone with information that could lead to Tiana’s safe return to contact the police or contact him on 0783 584 573.
