Durban - A woman, 29, has been charged with perjury after she reported a false case of child kidnapping in Dududu on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the woman told police she was on her way to the residence of her five-day old baby’s father in a hired vehicle, when they were blocked by another vehicle along the main road in Khakhama on Friday evening.
Netshiunda said the woman added there were two suspects, who told her to get out of the car, and the driver was told to drive away.
“She told the police the suspects escorted her to the nearby bushes where they instructed her to call the father of the child and demanded R5 000 which he owed the suspects.
“She also claimed the suspects struck her with the butt of a firearm before fleeing with her baby,” he said.
However, Netshiunda said police investigations showed the woman was lying about having a baby and had staged the imaginary kidnapping.
“Investigations also uncovered the woman hatched the plan in order to deceive her boyfriend’s family into believing that she had given birth to his child, thus securing her position as the daughter in-law,” he said.
Netshiunda said the woman appeared before the Sawoti Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
He said she was remanded in custody.
“She will make her next court appearance on 6 April, 2023.” he said.