Wolves in sheep skins

At times she may not be pregnant at all, that by the time she menstruates she feels hurt because by then she would have already started bonding with the supposed new being.

In instances when she is actually pregnant she goes through a lot pain and changes. Even though it is easier for others, the bond that results is of significance.
The unborn baby’s hormones would take over the expectant mother’s life causing her to eat things she never dreamt she would ever touch.

Morning sickness and back pain are some of the “goodies” in the package called pregnancy and you can never run away from them save for a few lucky women.
Fully knowing the risk that might befall her, almost every African woman would want to be a mother at some point in her life.

Every mother has a unique childbirth story for each and every one of her children.
The children are a pride and joy.

It is, however, disheartening to learn that after all that being said and done there are women who are out there preying on fellow women’s offspring.
They take away the challenges and adventures of raising one’s own blood by detaching the little ones from their families and sacrificing them for worldly riches.

Back in the day when child kidnappers were not common in communities, male perpetrators were caught on the wrong side of the fence.
They have, however, devised ways of luring the unsuspecting communities using innocent looking figures- fellow women.

The women are usually sweet and very friendly, yet they are out for destruction – they are wolves in sheep’s skin.
The Bible says they are out to kill, steal and destroy dreams and causing pain and division in families as members end up blaming one another for the losses.

Such is the story of many families who have been unfortunate enough to become prey to these unlikely monsters.
One Kuwadzana couple was lucky to escape that kind of pain and loss but memories of that sad day sends shivers down their spines. They almost lost their daughter.

Luckily, the perpetrator was caught while arguing with the three-year-old girl’s elder sister.
What started as an ordinary day for vegetable vendor Mr Farai Nyamande and his wife who are well known at their place of work turned awry when the would-be kidnappers pounced.

The two would wake up early for Mbare Musika vegetable market to buy vegetables for resell in the high- density subu, leaving the young ones in the care of the older siblings.

This day was, however, going to be different from any other – a kidnapper had planned to prey on the unsuspecting couple that worked hard to give its five children a comfortable life.

The day was to end in a lot of anger and fear together with joy for the family.
The alleged kidnapper – Brenda Kazimbe (27) from Kuwadzana Extension -went to the Nyamande home and started cleaning the house.

She asked Mr Nyamande’s Grade 5 daughter why she had not done the dishes.
Kazimbe pretended to be the family’s aunt.

She ordered the children around claiming that their mother knew she was at home.
Kazimbe told the children to go outside and start washing the dishes while she looted household utensils and groceries packing them into her bag.

She also strapped the three-year-old on her back.
The abductor took off asking the children to walk her to the bus stop as she was rushing to her house.

The children were, however, uncomfortable with her taking away the baby, foodstuffs and dishes.
When they got to the shops, Kazimbe asked the children to go back home while she proceeded with the child on her back.

The other two children, however, started crying saying they would not leave without their sister.
Kazimbe even tried to buy snacks to silence the children.

An argument ensued, and other vendors at Kuwadzana 4 Shopping Centre intervened as their friend’s child was arguing with a stranger.
Kazimbe even tried to sneak into a nearby bar when she realised that she was attracting the attention of other vendors but the enthusiastic mob caught up with her.

They were ready to punish the woman.
A mob quickly attacked the woman until the father of the child restrained them.

She was taken to the local police station and was released after four hours.
The parents were lucky to be at their market otherwise Kazembe would have fled without anyone verifying whether she was indeed a relative or not and would have probably too late to rescue the little girl.

Mr Nyamande was called and it was realised that the woman was not related to the family and wanted to steal the child.
“I wanted to kill the woman with my bare hands, but I restrained myself, the law had to take its course,” Mr Nyamande said.

“I have always tried to do the best for my family and someone tries to take that away from me? Justice has to take its course. I am grateful for the support of fellow vendors at this market place. Had it not been for them I could have lost my child, and the pain of not knowing what my child would have gone through would be unbearable.”

Kazembe appeared at the Mbare Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday facing charges of unlawful entry and kidnapping.
She pleaded guilty to the first charge but denied kidnapping the child.

She is awaiting bail.
While at the courts it, however, became evident that Kazimbe was not new to breaking the law as she had even skipped a recent community service sentence to go and commit another crime.

A local woman who had witnessed part of the drama on the fateful day said Government should do more to ensure that community misfits get deterrent sentences so that would-be offenders are scared off.

“What is most scary is their audacity to get into people’s houses and taking advantage of the people’s hospitality,” Melody Mutandiro said.
She was part of the mob that trailed the woman.

“This country has always been a safe place to live in but with the coming of the Satanists and greed one can never know whom to trust, which should not be.
“We are Zimbabweans and a well-cultured nation whose people should not be corrupted by the love of money.”

Meanwhile, Police Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said Harare had recorded about three kidnapping cases in the last three months and other provinces had recorded less.

She said there were very few of such cases and most of them happen when mothers leave their children with strangers for one reason or the other.
“The number of cases of children being kidnapped has not been alarming. Harare recorded about three cases in the past three months,” Ass Com Charamba said.

“Most of the cases involved mothers trusting total strangers and leaving them in their care not knowing that they are up to no good.”
“There are some women out there who do not have children and would go that far in order to have a child.”

She, however, urged the general public not to be too quick to trust strangers with their children.
Cases of people being kidnapped have been widespread and most of them have been attributed to money rituals by either culturalists or Satanists.