10 years in jail for Harare woman who sold baby for R25 000 after giving birth

A Harare woman who sold her baby for R25 000 two days after giving birth, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Pauline Maganga, claims that she sold off her baby to one Janet Marimo, as she was struggling to make ends meet while pregnant after being abandoned by the man who impregnated her.

Despite her pleas, Harare regional magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube found Maganga guilty and said her actions were unpardonable.

“The victim is a child in this case and the offender is a parent. The offence was committed in aggravating circumstances and there were no special circumstances to consider,” said Mr Ncube noting that aggravating factors outweighed mitigatory factors.

“She had the duty to keep and protect this child but she chose to commodify the child for the purpose of trafficking. In this modern world, no person should be sold. We have passed slave trade era. She should have given up the child for adoption in a legal manner if she was really poor,” he said.

Investigations revealed that in October last year, the Marino smuggled the infant into Zimbabwe and was arrested on November 27, 2023, following a tip-off. This was after Muganga had failed to secure a birth certificate for the infant by October 29 last year, as the two had agreed.

The infant was placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare. Maganga was apprehended on her return  to Zimbabwe after she heard that her accomplice had been arrested.