Baby Goes Missing After Birth -- Parents Say We Want Our Boy Back -- Not 2 Million Rands

When Sibusiso Mndaweni (33) and Veliswa Sondamase (27) of Hebron, North West were expecting their second child, they were over the moon with joy.

But years later it is a missing baby mystery involving allegations of a R6 million settlement!

When the happy mother went into labour and was rushed to Dr George Mukhari Hospital, she could not wait to hold her bundle of joy in her arms. But the baby went missing soon after his birth at the hospital on 29 December 2008.

Sibusiso said he received a call from a nurse that evening informing him to come with the baby’s clothes the next day.

Baby Goes Missing After Birth -- Parents Say We Want Out Boy Back -- Not 2 Million Rands

But when he arrived he was told the baby was in an incubator and the mother was also not well.

He said Veliswa’s condition got worse and he asked for her to be referred to her home town, East London, in March 2009.

“When we left no one could tell us where our baby was,” he said.

After Veliswa recovered in 2010 they went back to the hospital and were told she did not give birth there. He said he travelled to Eastern Cape to fetch the referral letter the hospital gave them in 2009.

“They then told us the baby was given to a Maria Mnisi. We do not know the woman,” he said.

“I was offered R2 million to drop the matter, but I refused. The hospital must give us our child,” he said.

He said attorney Lawrence Kekana was handling their case and he had helped them a lot.

“He bought us a house for R30 000 and gave us R24 000 in cash.

“We cannot find him any more. Every time we call his office, we are told he is in court,” he said.

Sibusiso said they later found out the department had given him a settlement of about R6 million.

Kekana, however, said when Sibusiso first came to see him it was a case of medical negligence.

“I sought the opinion of an advocate and was told the case was old because three years had passed.

“Sibusiso came back with a story of a missing baby last year. I advised him to open a police case. In our last consultation he could not provide me with the case number.”

Kekana denied getting any form of settlement from the department on behalf of the couple. He said he spent the R54 000 on the couple out of the goodness of his heart.

The department’s spokesman, Vuyo Sabani, said the matter was being addressed.

“The family will be called again and we will see how we can resolve the matter,” he said. www.dailysun.co.za