A 23-year-old woman from Gokwe has confessed to violating the Trafficking in Persons Act by selling her newborn just two days after giving birth.
The woman, who resides in South Africa, allegedly entered into an agreement to sell her baby to another Zimbabwean woman living in the same country. The plan involved the buyer smuggling the infant back to Zimbabwe.
The two women reportedly connected on Facebook, where they discussed and finalized the transaction details, agreeing on a monetary exchange for the baby.
However, the scheme unravelled when the buyer, identified as Janet Marimo, was arrested. Suspicion arose when she presented the child to her friends and relatives despite never appearing pregnant.
Following her arrest, the baby was placed under the care of Zimbabwe’s social welfare department.
Upon learning of Marimo’s arrest, the baby’s mother, Pauline Maganga, travelled to Gokwe from South Africa. She attempted to deceive her relatives by claiming her child had died in South Africa. Nonetheless, her deception was uncovered, and she was promptly arrested.
According to prosecutors, Maganga had travelled to South Africa in January while pregnant, seeking employment opportunities. She gave birth to a baby boy in June.
She then allegedly conspired with Marimo, whom she met on Facebook, to traffic her newborn to Harare. Marimo managed to smuggle the undocumented baby from South Africa to Zimbabwe while Maganga remained in South Africa.
