A WOMAN who dumped her two children, a boy aged three and his nine-month-old sister, at Mpilo Central Hospital is being urged by a United Kingdom-based sponsor to come forward and claim her children in exchange for financial support. Bulawayo’s biggest hospital revealed last week that it has been stuck with the children since February 4 this year after the mystery woman, believed to be from Inyathi, vanished leaving behind the two children.
Now radio legend Ezra Tshisa Sibanda says he has found a sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous, who is committed to pay the missing mother $100 per month until both children go through high school.
Sibanda told The Chronicle from England: “The sponsor wants to support the woman and her children by giving her $100 per month until her kids finish secondary school. We want the woman to come forward and bring up her kids.
“I know economic difficulties drove her to do that and I know she loves her children but difficulties in life drove her to a point of despair.”
He said it was easy to be judgmental and over-critical of the mother, but insisted people should at least consider that she did not harm her children. “I respect that she didn’t cause any harm to them by dumping them in the bush or even killing them. A hospital isn’t a good place for anyone, let alone for children, but at least they’re safe,” said Sibanda.
The former Radio 2 star and losing parliamentary candidate in 2013, says he has set up the Ezra Tshisa Initiative (ETI) which he uses to raise funds to support good causes, especially in educating kids from poor families. He said the ETI was currently supporting 16 orphaned children countrywide as well as paying fees for a final year student at Midlands State University. “I don’t have any donors but rely on ordinary people around the world to assist me. I make appeals through my social network pages and also physically approach individuals and companies to assist specific people in need. I believe as a nation we can do a lot working together to assist our own less fortunate people,” he said.
Mpilo public relations officer Sibusisiwe Faith Ndlovu said the mystery mother came with her two children to the hospital on January 20, after asking to be transferred from Inyathi District Hospital. Her daughter was ill, and she left without trace on February 4 before she could be discharged.
She allegedly erased her name and physical address from her daughter’s health card and the hospital has tried in vain to locate her ever since.-Chronicle
