Lesotho woman arrested for kidnapping baby Deneo Seobi, 8mos: who was reunited with family in Welkom: a 28-year-old woman from Lesotho under arrest for child-stealing: (pictures):
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Story by: the SAPS Journal Online: reporter: SAPS captain S Thakeng:
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'On 12 August 2013 Mrs Motshidisi Seob 21, with her child Dineo Seobi, eight months, was approached by an unknown woman while she was at her residence at C-hostel in Thabong, Welkom. The woman promised her employment in Welkom's central business district. The two women travelled from Thabong to the Total Garage in Stateway, Welkom. Little Deneo then was stolen under the pretence that "the mother will be provided with employment."
The SAPS worked around the clock to ensure that the suspect was brought to book. A tip-off was followed up by members of the Welkom Social Crime Prevention until the child was found at Esperanza farm, Welkom district. The child was found and handed back to her parents.
This followed after the tip off was received on 16 August 2013 by Lt. Lydia Tsoai the Sector Commander of Phomolong Village. The investigator Warrant Officer Moyane Monei, Welkom Social Crime Prevention personnel under the leadership of Captain Limakatso Qakoshe and members of Tactical Response Team followed up information to the farm Esperanza in Welkom district.
"A number of Lesotho men ran away from the house as police approached: '
A house was identified and approached at the farm, then a number of Lesotho men ran away from the house. While the house was searched a child was found hidden beneath a blanket and she was identified as little Dineo: Mrs Seobi was fetched and identified the child as hers, as did the father of the child, Mr Thapelo Mosidi: the SAPS reports that 'he could not hold back his tears when she was reunited with her child Dineo."
A 28-year-old woman from Lesotho was arrested for child stealing. She will appear soon in Welkom Court. The clothing that the suspect was wearing when the child was stolen, was also seized.
“I am very proud of all members who were involved in ensuring that the perpetrator of this heinous crime of child stealing in brought to book to face the might of the law. My appreciation also goes to residents who gave information which led to the arrest of the suspect. This is an indication that the residents are sick and tired of crime in their residential areas” says the Station Commander of Welkom, Brigadier Mzondi Mojafi.
Report by SAPS captain S. Thakeng Cellphone 079 528 4811
http://www.sapsjournalonline.gov.za/dynamic/journal_dynamic.aspx?pageid=414&jid=26954
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Mozambican woman Elizabeth Gwambe, on trial in Nelspruit, South Africa for trafficking babies: social workers and police investigators claim she can buy a black SA baby for $200 (US) - and can sell it for up to $30,000 (US). Does the US celebrity rage to adopt black African babies fuel child trafficking?
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(background: "Adoption Trade Sets Up Shop in Africa' - http://www.libertyandhumanity.com/themes/human-trafficking/adoption-trade-sets-up-shop-in-africa/
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(reports)
"concern over Africa adoption rise": In the past eight years, international adoptions increased by almost 400%, the African Child Policy Forum has found."Africa is becoming the new frontier for inter-country adoption," the Addis Ababa-based group said.But many African countries do not have adequate safeguards in place to protect the children being adopted, it warns. The majority of so-called orphans adopted from Africa have at least one living parent and many children are trafficked or sold by their parents, the child expert group says. More than 41,000 African children have been adopted and taken out of home countries since 2004, the ACPF report says.More than two thirds of the total in 2009 and 2010 were adopted from Ethiopia, which now sends more children abroad for adoption than any other country, apart from China."Compromising children's best interests while undertaking inter-country adoption is likely and adoption can become a vast, profit-driven, industry with children as the commodity," the African Child Policy Forum report said.The group's director, David Mugawe, said that adoption in some parts of Africa had indeed become a business."It's got an element where adoption has now become commercialised. And so it's an industry that some orphanages are benefiting [from] - and they are promoting adoption basically to be able to sustain and maintain the orphanages," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.He said large sums of money were sometimes being paid by prospective parents."There was a lady who worked with the American embassy in Uganda and she mentioned the figures ranged between $10,000 to $30,000," Mr Mugawe said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18248007
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"Is international adoption an ethical business?' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18506474
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Protecting children from orphan dealers in Africa:
http://www.irinnews.org/report/84582/west-africa-protecting-children-from-orphan-dealers
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16 August 2013 - A Mozambican woman in the Nelspruit region, Elizabeth Gwambe, is being accused of trafficking babies - buying them for R2,000 and reselling them for R300,000 -- by a social worker who cannot be identified because of the ongoing investigation, writes Tereasa Ferrari in Nelspruit. Gwambe was charged in the Nelspruit court after her arrest in December 2011. One of the victims told the social worker that Gwambe "had bragged about paying approximately R2 000 per child and selling them for up to R300 000."
Her trial will begin on October 21 2013, reports Ferrari - as she had to have her whole case restarted due to her previous defence attorney, Mr MC Mabunda, withdrawing after she blamed him for changing her plea. A new attorney still has to be appointed. She was arrested in December 2011. She was found in a taxi heading to Johannesburg with a baby whom she claimed was hers, confirmed Mpumalanga police spokesman Col Leonard Hlathi. "After the baby didn't want to drink milk from Gwambe, her co-passengers became suspicious. They confronted her and reported the matter to police. Hlathi said it later emerged that she supposedly also stole a four-year-old boy and placed him with her neighbours in Johannesburg.
She remains in custody.
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Mozambican woman Elizabeth Gwambe 42, charged with trafficking scores of babies: trafficking fuelled by celebrity-rage to adopt black babies in Africa?
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http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/lowveld/lowveld-news-general?oid=7706704&sn=Detail&pid=490165&Woman-alleged-to-buy-and-sell-babies-for-profit
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"Trafficking babies linked to increase in international adoptions of children from Africa"
The United Nations' latest report on human-trafficked babies is that during 2004 and 2012, the number of "'international adoptions of children from Africa has increased by nearly 400 per cent. In total, the number of those who were adopted from countries in Africa by parents in others during the eight years was over 41,000. Reported prices paid to adoption agencies in Africa are between US $10 000 to $30 000. Experts report that many of the orphans actually have at least one living parent and were taken by child traffickers or sold by their parents."
It has become a fashion-rage amongst US celebrities to adopt 'black orphans' from Africa and this (perceived) new fashion' is also partially driving the growing trafficking trade in black babies. Recently the well-known South African Hollywood celebrity Charlene Theron adopted a black baby in Malawi. Huffington Post journalist Kristen Howerten https://twitter.com/kristenhowerton investigated this apparent 'trend of international multiracial adoptions' and writes: "It also bears noting that there are many African-American celebrities who have adopted black children as well: Shonda Rhimes, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, and Reverend Run, to name a few." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-howerton/celebrity-adoption_b_1579737.html
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