ZIMBABWE – A heavily pregnant woman was kidnapped and detained for three hours in the bush by a knife-wielding man who inflicted cuts, bruises and bites on her body.

The unidentified man abducted the woman from a maternity waiting home at Manama Mission Hospital in Matabeleland South in the early hours of Thursday.

The shelter has no security details manning the premises and sources told CITE that the kidnapped woman was s_xually abused.

However, in a report addressed to the District Medical Officer, Gwanda District Nursing Officer, a T Sibanda noted that the woman was “assaulted, threatened and was not s_xually abused by the young man.” Said Sibanda:

On the 23rd of June 2021, Manama Mission Hospital made a report of the attack on women in the shelter at 12 midnight by an unknown person (male) wielding a knife.

The young man harassed and attacked pregnant women in the shelter. He took their clothes and phones, put them in a bag and fled into the bush with one pregnant mother for 3 hours.

At 0330 hours, he brought back the pregnant woman who had suffered some injuries (cuts, bruises and human bites).

He then ran away upon being pursued by the ZRP and some staff members.

The hospital officials have since resolved to assign two general hands to act as security guards at the hospital round the clock.

Meanwhile, most of the women at the shelter have returned to their homes amid concerns from health officials that this could lead to an increase in home deliveries.