A further arrest has been made in connection with the shocking case where a newborn baby was sold for US$180. Jestina Mashamba (45), a midwife at Sally Mugabe Maternity Hospital, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Donald Ndirowei on Saturday, facing charges related to the trafficking of a baby.
Mashamba, from Budiriro 1 in Harare, is accused of collaborating with Dion Tore, Betty Patricia Sena, and a minor (the mother of the infant) to traffic the baby. According to Prosecutor Blessed Songozo, the crime took place between February and March this year, when the suspects orchestrated the illegal sale of the newborn.
Mashamba allegedly induced the minor to deliver prematurely, resulting in the birth of the baby on February 25 at 28 weeks. On March 5, she reportedly handed over the premature infant to Tore using falsified documents, which claimed that the minor had given birth and the baby had already been discharged.
Mashamba, who was employed as a midwife at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, is also accused of facilitating the unsafe discharge of the premature infant from the hospital before it was medically appropriate. Additionally, she and Sena, who is also a midwife at the same hospital, allegedly falsified a death certificate for the baby, purporting that the infant had died shortly after birth.

The case came to light after the baby was discovered following a police tip-off. Mashamba reportedly surrendered herself to the CID Counter Terrorism Unit on November 29 this year, leading to her arrest.
Tore and Sena, who were arrested earlier, were denied bail by Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on Monday. The minor involved was released into the custody of the Department of Social Welfare.
According to prosecutors, the baby's mother had connected with Tore through a WhatsApp group where they discussed the adoption of the infant. Tore, who had a history of miscarriages, allegedly encouraged the minor to deliver prematurely at Sally Mugabe Hospital, later creating a false death record to cover up the illegal transaction.
In exchange for the baby, the minor received US$180 via EcoCash between May and August 2024. The case has raised serious concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the involvement of healthcare professionals in illicit activities.
Mashamba, along with Tore, Sena, and the minor, is scheduled to return to court on Thursday to co-join their records for trial. The authorities continue their investigation into the case.

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