Baby kidnapping trial put on back-burner

MORE Blessings Marumbe remarked “yo, again” as she left the video room after her baby kidnapping trial was postponed in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Marumbe was appearing for the alleged kidnapping of 5-month-old Nhluto Baloyi from her home in Orchards on April 19.

“Mabacede ngifuna ukuya ekhaya” (Let them finish, I want to go home) she said as she appeared on video from the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre, where she is in custody.

During the brief appearance, the State prosecutor said the investigations had been concluded and the matter was ready to proceed. The magistrate announced that the case would move to the regional court for a trial date to be set.

Baby Nhluto disappeared from the Orchards complex where the family lives on April 19, after the infant’s mom hired Marumbe the night before.

The baby was found unharmed on April 22, after a frantic, three-day search by the family.

The baby’s mother, Thandi Baloyi, said she had met the job-seeking Marumbe a few months prior to the incident. They had maintained contact.

“I met her at the beginning of March when I was walking to Spar. She told me she was struggling. We exchanged numbers so I could help her look for a job,” Baloyi said.

She said the woman kept calling her to see if she had found her a job.

However, when Baloyi’s maternity leave came to an end and she had no one to look after her child, and after contemplating taking her daughter to daycare, she was advised against it.

Her aunt said the child was too young and a nanny would be best.

“She (Marumbe) was the first person I thought of, so I contacted her and told her I was stranded. I called her late, maybe after 5pm, but she agreed to come immediately.”

Marumbe tried to get the complex exit code from a neighbour, but did not succeed. However, the following morning the same woman eventually agreed and gave her the code. The mother came home from work to find her baby missing.

She went to the police station where she opened a missing person’s docket, but was told by police she would have to wait until Monday to get court documents that would allow for Marumbe’s cellphone to be used to trace her.

But Marumbe had also stolen the cellphone of Baloyi’s son, through which she was eventually tracked.

The case will resume on July 14.