First week summary

IT TOOK three days for the prosecution to wrap up its case against the woman accused of the 1997 kidnapping of Zephany Nurse from Groote Schuur Hospital.

The accused pleaded not guilty to three charges – kidnapping, fraud and the contravention of the Children’s Act.

The basis for her plea was contained in a 35-page document handed to Judge President John Hlophe on Tuesday.

The State called nine witnesses: ● Biological mother Celeste Nurse recalled seeing a woman, wearing an oatmeal top and maroon pants, sitting near the door of the ward. The woman told her that Zephany started to cry and asked if she should pick up the child. The next thing she recalled was a nurse waking her to ask where her baby was. ● Biological father Morne Nurse told the court how his daughter told him there was a pupil at her school who bore a close resemblance to her. He took Zephany to a McDonald’s, where he questioned her. Later he took a picture of the accused off Zephany’s Facebook account and sent it to Shireen Piet who identified the accused as the person whom she suspected of taking Zephany. ● Piet confirmed Morne Nurse’s evidence and told the court she had a conversation with the accused in the maternity ward. ● The court also viewed a video of the police identity parade held last year in which Piet pointed out the accused. She also identified the accused in court. ● Gertrude Hanslo confirmed nurses at Groote Schuur Hospital wore cream coloured tops and maroon pants – the colours which the suspected kidnapper had been wearing – in 1997. ● Mary Lewis denied claims she fetched the accused at the hospital in Retreat the day she received Zephany. ● Wilhelmina Hofmeyer from the Department of Home Affairs in Malmesbury testified the original documents used to register Zephany’s birth in 2003 no longer existed. She insisted only the biological parents or grandparents could register a birth and they have to have a clinic card or baptism certificate. ● Gerhard Kotze, who is Hofmeyer’s manager, told the court there was no way of knowing who registered Zephany if they did not have the original documents. He said people were questioned to determine if they were, in fact, family members. ● Warrant Officer Petro Coetzee of the Hawks was present when the accused was informed of the charges. She said the accused insisted Zephany was her child and her husband was the father. ● The principal of the school which Zephany attended testified about her school enrolment application, which is confidential.