Bulawayo
Provincial
police
spokesperson,
Inspector
Nomalanga
Msebele,
said
the
incident
followed
an
interaction
on
a
WhatsApp
group
called Idale
labomama,
which
the
26-year-old
mother
had
joined
about
four
months
earlier.
The
group
advertised
that
mothers
in
need
of
children’s
clothing
could
contact
a
supplied
number
for
assistance.
“The
complainant
contacted
the
number
via
and
communicated
with
an
unknown
suspect
who
identified
herself
only
as
MaNdlovu
of
Cowdray
Park.
The
suspect
offered
to
deliver
the
clothes
to
the
complainant’s
residence,
and
directions
were
provided,”
said
Inspector
Msebele.
On
December
29,
at
around
6am,
the
suspect
informed
the
mother
that
she
would
deliver
the
clothes
later
that
day.
At
about
1pm,
the
suspect
instructed
the
mother
to
wait
at
the
corner
of
Harare
Road
and
Cecil
Avenue
in
Parklands
to
collect
the
items.
Inspector
Msebele
said
the
mother
left
home
with
one
of
her
four-month-old
twins
and
went
to
the
meeting
point,
leaving
the
other
twin
asleep
in
the
bedroom
and
her
four-year-old
daughter
playing
outside.
The
mother
waited
for
about
15
minutes
before
receiving
a
message
from
the
suspect
saying
she
had
sent
someone
known
only
as
‘Lo’
who
did
not
arrive,
prompting
the
complainant
to
return
home.
“Upon
arrival,
she
discovered
that
her
four-month-old
baby
girl
was
missing,”
Inspector
Msebele
added,
noting
that
the
matter
was
immediately
reported
to
the
police.
Police
have
appealed
to
members
of
the
public
with
information
that
may
lead
to
the
arrest
of
the
suspect
or
the
recovery
of
the
baby
to
report
at
the
nearest
police
station.
“We
also
urge
mothers
and
caregivers
to
exercise
extreme
caution
when
dealing
with
strangers
on
social
media
and
to
avoid
oversharing
personal
or
sensitive
information,
as
this
exposes
them
and
their
children
to
serious
risk,”
said
Inspector
Msebele.