SECUNDA – The young woman was visibly trembling when she pointed out her aunt as the orchestrator of her abduction and the abortion of her baby in the eighth month of pregnancy.
This is what Capt David Msibi, the lead investigator in the case, told the Secunda Regional Court on Thursday, 11 February.
Capt Msibi testified in the trial against Ms Lydia “Sandra” Mojemba (34), her boyfriend, Mr Wilson Seyikabi (46) and Messrs Jingo Wassua (35) and Njombozi Katiti (43).
The accused are citizens of Uganda and is considered to be illegally in South Africa.
They are facing charges ranging from human trafficking and kidnapping to rape, attempted murder and illegal abortion.
The victim is Ms Mojemba’s niece who was abducted at her home in Sunset Park, Secunda, on 13 July 2018. The 20-year-old niece who was eight months pregnant was taken to Ogies where she was allegedly locked in a room and endured abortion attempts before her child was still-born. She escaped.
Capt Msibi told the court he and a colleague took the victim and her boyfriend, who is the father of the aborted baby, to Ogies on 20 July.
She spotted and pointed out her abductors at a building close to the Spar. The building is known simply as “Hotel”.
Capt Msibi said the Ogies Police were understaffed and could not help them execute arrests. He called Secunda Police for backup.
According to Capt Msibi, they followed the accused to an old white house near the Caltex Filling Station but waited close to the road for the backup to arrive from Secunda.
“The victim recognised the house and said she was held captive in her aunt’s room during her ordeal.”
He said when backup arrived, they closed off the access road to the house with their vehicles.
The accused were all in a black Nissan on their way out, when the police stopped them.
Capt Msibi said both times the victim saw her aunt and the men with her, she was trembling.
“When I asked why she was trembling, she said she was extremely afraid of her aunt.”
Capt Msibi told the court that the victim pointed out all four of the accused as the people who abducted her from Secunda.
“She pointed out that she was held in her aunt Sandra’s room which she shared with Wilson. The victim said Sandra was sitting on the bed when she ordered Mr Katiti to vaginally insert the abortion tablets.”
Capt Msibi said Mr Jingo Wassua was not implicated in the abortion scenario.
He arrested the four that afternoon.
