It’s made International headlines and caused a massive stir among our nation. It’s been on the minds of every mother as we have put ourselves in that scary situation : What would we do if our baby was taken from us in a hijacking? How could we cope not knowing where our baby was or if we would ever see her again? Was she hungry or cold? How would a stranger know how to comfort her? Or worse, what  were their intentions with my baby in the first place? It’s been police priority ever since baby Siwaphiwe was reported to have been kidnapped in an apparent hijacking in Durban on Friday morning.

It’s all I could think about all weekend as I welcomed my children into my bed in the early morning and heard the sound of their cereal bowls being thrown in the kitchen sink as I sipped my coffee in bed. As I enjoyed playing lego with them and watching them ride their bikes, I couldn’t shake the fact that somewhere out there, was a mother who may never get to have these moments or watch her infant baby grow up. And I prayed. Like many many of you all over South Africa, I prayed and pleaded with God to spare her life and for police to find her. And then, on Sunday morning I woke up to the news that baby Siwaphiwe had been found. Alive! I was so happy I cried!

It wasn’t long afterwards that more news articles started flooding in, claiming that the baby’s biologic mother had been arrested in connection with the hijacking and what appeared to be the fake kidnapping of her own child. And immediately I felt anger. Like many of you I felt angered by this mother who betrayed the mom community in such a selfish way.

I wondered how on earth a mother could possibly ever do something that? I speculated what her intentions could have been that she would use her own infant child in a scam so big, with such far reaching effects on our nation and police force. How could such evil exist that a mother would allow an entire nation to worry themselves sick and feel that kind of urgent panic while she sat with the full knowledge her child was alive. I even wondered at one point it her reason may be valid or at the very least a desperate one that would permit such deceit.  Was she in an abusive relationship? Was her life being threatened? Could I sympathise with her at all if that were the case?

And no sooner that everyone had come together in unity and compassion was everyone in outrage. People who felt betrayed but this women’s evil scam, people who were angered by the fact that police funds were wasted on a mother who cried wolf.

But all I kept thinking was how could their funds have been wasted if this precious little baby’s life was in fact spared? How was time wasted when these criminals were in fact caught and the truth eventually brought to light? Sure, these things could have been avoided in the first place, but crime happens everyday and this case in all its deceit should never have been treated any differently to any other crime against any other child. This baby, was caught up in scam so big and she relied on the law to do what they were meant to do, protect her from what could could have been a potentially dangerous situation. If her parents were capable of pulling something like this off, what more are they capable of when it comes to the safety of their own child?

It’s because our country came together and stood together in face of such tragedy and because the Durban Police force did such a great job, that this little girls’ life was protected and removed from harms way. Tell me then, how is that time and resources wasted? So before we all go getting cynical about about how messed up the situation is let’s see it as a huge step for our country.  A nation who stood in prayer for this little girl, that she would be found and kept safe. Let’s be proud of our country for looking past race and religion and demographics, but who rather stood together in hope for this little girl. Let our faith be restored knowing that should we ever find ourselves in a terrifying situation life this, our country would have our backs and we would be carried through with the compassion and hope from a nation so beautifully displayed here.

How do you see it? leave a comment an tell me your thoughts. xxx

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!