The
toddler,
Asanda
Charisma
Ndlovu,
was
taken
from
her
mother’s
shop
at
Meikles
Market
on
Thursday
morning
after
the
suspect
allegedly
posed
as
a
customer.
Police
say
the
teenager
later
led
officers
to
a
city
flat
where
the
child
was
found
safe.
Asanda’s
mother,
Nesisa
Mpofu,
said
the
incident
happened
at
about
10
am
while
she
was
attending
to
a
woman
who
had
been
inquiring
about
prices.
“She
asked
about
several
items
and
stayed
for
a
while,”
Mpofu
said.
“My
daughter
was
playing
next
to
me.
When
I
turned
to
pack
away
the
goods
I
had
been
showing
her,
I
did
not
realise
my
child
was
no
longer
there.”
A
neighbouring
trader
told
her
she
had
seen
a
woman
carrying
the
toddler,
assuming
they
knew
each
other.
CCTV
footage
reviewed
by
market
management
showed
a
person
descending
the
stairs
with
the
child.
Although
some
initially
believed
the
figure
appeared
male,
Mpofu
said
she
recognised
the
clothing
as
that
worn
by
the
same
woman
she
had
been
serving.
“I
recognised
the
black
fluffy
slides,
black
jeans
with
reflector
detail
and
a
brown
jersey,”
she
said.
In
a
statement
to
police,
the
juvenile
suspect
said
she
had
intended
to
show
the
child
to
a
man
she
described
as
her
boyfriend,
who
she
also
said
had
previously
been
involved
with
her
sister.
“I
took
the
baby
and
went
downstairs,”
she
said.
“My
intention
was
to
show
him
the
child
and
then
return
her.”
The
teenager
said
she
later
considered
returning
the
child
but
claimed
the
man
suggested
they
do
so
the
following
day.
The
child
was
eventually
recovered
on
Thursday.
Bulawayo
police
spokesperson
Inspector
Nomalanga
Msebele
confirmed
the
arrest
and
praised
members
of
the
public
for
providing
information
that
led
to
the
child’s
recovery.
“As
the
police,
we
work
with
the
information
that
you
give
us,”
she
said.
“We
urge
vendors
and
members
of
the
public
to
remain
vigilant
and
ensure
children
are
always
supervised.”
Inspector
Msebele
also
said
the
teenager
had
previously
been
reported
missing
from
her
home
in
Rangemore
and
was
known
to
roam
the
city
centre.
Asanda’s
father,
Ayibongwe
Ndlovu,
described
the
incident
as
“extremely
stressful”.
“At
first
I
thought
it
was
a
prank,”
he
said.
“When
I
realised
it
was
true,
it
was
very
difficult.
We
are
grateful
to
the
police
and
to
everyone
who
helped.”
The
mother
of
the
14-year-old
suspect
said
her
daughter
had
been
missing
from
home
before
the
incident.
“I
had
reported
her
disappearance
to
the
police,”
she
said.
“I
am
sorry
to
the
family
and
to
the
community
for
what
has
happened.”