The man accused of kidnapping a toddler (3) in a shopping centre in May 2022, briefly appeared in the Thembalethu Regional Court on Tuesday. The date was initially scheduled for final arguments to proceed in the trial, but was postponed because the prosecutor was absent due to illness.

Both the state and prosecution have called all their witnesses and final arguments are now scheduled to be heard on June 12.

Mvuyisi Zweni (33) was charged with kidnapping after he picked up the little girl in New Harvest in Eden Meander Lifestyle Centre in George, and walked off with her.

He was employed at New Harvest as a security guard at the time. He was arrested a few days later and made his first court appearance on a charge of kidnapping on May 25, 2022, when he was released on bail of R500.

The incident was recorded on CCTV footage, where Zweni can be seen picking up the little girl and making off with her while the mother’s back is turned.

The toddler’s young brother alerts their mother by shouting that a man had taken his sister. She promptly runs after the man. About 15 seconds later she returns with the crying little girl in her arms after finding her in a storeroom with the man.

‘I like children’

The mother told George Herald that shortly after retrieving her daughter from the man, he came to her in the store while she was holding and calming her daughter and apologised saying: “I’m sorry. I like children. I wanted to play with her…”

The mother said the same man had also interacted with her daughter and tried to take her teddy bear when they entered the shop at about 11:00 that day.

The case serves in front of magistrate Eugenia Jacobs, Chamelle Bastian is for the state and the accused is represented by Zukile Mqulo.