Phat Joe: If it's true, how could a mom do this? #BabySiwaphiwe?

The team and I were completely stunned on Friday when we received the news that a mother was hijacked and her 1 month year old was abducted from City View Shopping Centre.

A million things started running through in my mind – when last was the baby fed, was the child safely buckled in her car seat before hijackers abducted her, will they harm this innocent little person and will she ever see her parents again. 

There were so many things that came to mind but one thing stuck and that was that the team and I had to find baby Siwaphiwe.

 After putting out the message on-air, that we as KZN must find this baby, the response from KZN was overwhelming!

Messages started flooding in, people rallying together to form search parties and a generous R10 000 reward for the safe return of baby Siwaphiwe was offered by an anonymous caller. I knew I had to do the same and matched the anonymous caller's amount and pledged another R10 000 for the safe return of this baby. 

The team and I didn’t want to finish our show before baby Siwaphiwe was found so we extended it for another hour hoping and praying that she would be safely returned to her parents.

During the entire weekend, I was following the updates, hoping for that ‘Breaking News’ tweet to come through but nothing…until 4am this morning when I got the call from our Newswatch team ‘Baby Siwaphiwe has been found’

I was absolutely elated, the prayers of KZN, the love and support from communities, the selfless donations and time that the people of KZN gave to find baby Siwaphiwe was heard. 

Baby Siwaphiwe was found unharmed... but unfortunately not everything is what it seems.

When the news came through that the mother had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping, I actually couldn’t speak, think or breath for a second... 

How? 

 Why? 

 What? 

All these questions were going through my mind. How could a mother be involved in something like this? It is an innocent baby that has no chance of fighting back. What was she thinking?

I have no words to express my disappointment in this mother. She is not the parent of this baby if she has anything to do with the kidnapping, we as KZN are her parents now.

Thank you KZN for showing me what it means to be part of such a caring and passionate province. 

I am proud to be part of KZN.