Mum ‘sells’ her baby

By Azola Matros

A MOTHER is living with regret.

The mum who allegedly sold her eight-month-old son to a stranger regrets it and wants her baby back. 

She allegedly sold her baby on Facebook Marketplace in October 2024. 

She’s now accused of child trafficking and appeared in the Cawa Magistrates Court in Port Alfred on Friday, 8 November where she was granted R500 bail. Her case was postponed to 6 February 2025.

The 23-year-old from Boknes, Port Alfred said she met the woman on social media, and they started a conversation. They later exchanged contacts. 

She said they met at Kowie River , and the baby was handed over to the woman, who left in a taxi.

“I regret everything I did. I did that out of desperation. I was struggling financially to raise my baby. I’m not ok. I want my baby. I love my baby,” she said.

The mum said a week after giving her baby away, she told the woman she wanted him back, but the woman did not want to give him back.

“The woman lives near Kenton-on-Sea. The last time I spoke to her, I told her I was afraid of being arrested. I want to tell that woman that what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have taken that route,” she said.

“I should have taken my baby to social workers. I spent almost two weeks in prison and it’s not a good place to be. There’s no freedom in prison. I was eating two times a day,” she said

The woman’s boyfriend (25) from Boknes, also in Port Alfred, said the baby is his, but he doesn’t believe his girlfriend sold him. 

“She didn’t have money to take care of the baby. I wasn’t living with her when this happened. I thought she had sent the baby to her family,” he said.

Eastern Cape police spokeswoman Captain Vukile tswete said: “A case of child trafficking was opened on 19 October. The suspect, the mother of the child, was arrested the same day and she appeared in the Cawa Magistrates Court on 21 October.”

Eastern Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Sivenathi Gunya said: “It’s alleged that she advertised her child for sale on Facebook Marketplace and some woman showed interest, took the child and promised to give the mother R1 000 monthly until she is back on her feet again. But she hasn’t paid the money and can’t be traced.”