ZAMBIA – A 20-year-old woman has told the Ndola Magistrates’ Court in Zambia that she abandoned her nine months old baby at a stranger’s home due to economic hardships.

In this case was Hope Nyirenda, 20, who appeared in the Ndola Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to child dissertation.

It is alleged that on October 24, 2019, Nyirenda, being a parent and having a child under the age of 16, deserted the baby in Twapia Township.

When the matter came up for trial, Grace Zimba narrated how Nyirenda abandoned the child after she asked to use the toilet at around 19:00 hours.

She said after a few minutes, she saw that the toilet door was open and went to check.

Zimba said when she checked, she found Nyirenda had disappeared.

She said a check around the neighbourhood did not yield anything which prompted her and some neighbours to report the matter to the police.

Zimba said on the way to the police, a man identified himself as the father of the child.

“We reported the matter to the police and officers asked us to look after the child until its mother was found,” she told court.

She testified that after the matter was reported to the police, the purported father offered to look for the baby’s mother at Old Twapia bars.

Zimba said Nyirenda was found inside a drinking place called Dangote Club later at night, and was apprehended.

And during cross examination, Nyirenda, who did not have legal representation, said she left the child at Zimba’s home so that she could help in informing her in-laws who stayed nearby that she had failed to take care of the child because of economic hardships.

“I did not have food or money to look after the baby and that is why I took the child there so that they could tell my in laws to look after my baby,” said Nyirenda.

The matter comes up for facts and ruling on Monday.

Source : Zambia Reports