Isabel Ndlovu
Zvishavane – A Zvishavane man was last week dragged to court to answer allegations of kidnapping a three year old daughter from Mandava township.
Abraham Shava (30) appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Peter Madiba facing kidnapping charges.
It is the State’s case that Shava visited his brother who stays in Mandava and upon arrival, he lured a neighbour’s three year old daughter and disappeared with her. The daughter’s mother Maggie Gwatikona who was busy doing house chores later realised that her daughter was missing where she was playing with other children and went out to investigate.
A follow up was made and Shava was found with the baby near Gresham Primary School which is a notable distance from the victim’s place. He was proceeding to an unknown destination.
The court heard that Gwatikona then demanded her daughter back but Shava resisted resulting in the former inviting passers-by to help. People then assisted Gwatikona to get her child back before they assaulted Shava. It was heard that Shava retaliated by stoning people who had gathered before he fled the scene but they chased him. He was later handed over to the police.
Shava denied the allegations and insisted that Gwatikona only saw her when he was assisting the child to cross the road back to her mother’s house. Magistrate Madiba deferred the case to a later date. Sheilla Mpindu prosecuted.news
