Dressed in a gown and roaming around the maternity ward pretending to be a new mother, seemingly while scoping the lay of the land at the Dora Nginza Hospital before brazenly kidnapping two premature babies.
This allegedly formed part of the groundwork before two premature, severely underweight babies who were still attached to feeding tubes were snatched from the hospital on 20 May.
The kidnapping of the boys, who were two days and four days old respectively, is alleged to have completed Sinovuyo Rabula's plan of telling her boyfriend that she had given birth to their twins.
The 26-year-old allegedly bundled the children into a bag naked, without any blankets or formula, and made off past all of the guards on duty to where her boyfriend lives in Ikamvelihle.
Rabula appeared in the New Brighton Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for the continuation of her bail application.
Also read: Alleged baby snatcher back in court
State prosecutor Nicole December is opposing her release on bail and called the investigating officer, Captain Michael Shanagan to testify.
Shanagan testified about the infant's medical condition, as contained in a medical report from the hospital's Head of Paediatrics.
Their names and the details of their parents have not been made public in a bid to protect them.
The court heard that the first baby was born on 18 May and weighed 1660 grams. He was on oxygen.
The second child was born on 16 May and weighed 2680 grams. He had sustained a broken arm during delivery and had his arm in a splint.
Both infants were attached to feeding tubes through which formula was administered to assist with weight gain. They were also dependent on their mother's breast milk.
According to Shanagan, Rabula allegedly roamed the maternity ward and its vicinity from 19 May dressed in a gown seemingly to give the impression that she was one of the new mothers.
He said she never left until the evening that she allegedly kidnapped the kids.
"On two previous occasions, she also walked around the wards, probably to check out the system.
"She informed her boyfriend that she had the kids while they were still in the ward.
"At that time she already made up her mind that she was going to take the kids," said Shanagan.
Shanagan believed that had Rabula's boyfriend and a neighbour not intervened when she came home with the kids, they would have died the same night.
The court heard that Rabula's now ex-boyfriend had kicked her out and told police that he never wanted to see her again for as long as he lived.
It was for this reason that an alternate address (her mother's home address in Motherwell) had to be verified as part of bail proceedings.
Shanagan told the court that the incident had caused public outrage and trauma, to the extent that members of the community had threatened to burn down Rabula's boyfriend's shack should she return to the area.
Coupled with this, was the emotional stress and fear the infant's mothers had to endure.
Also read: Twist in Dora Nginza babies kidnapping ordeal
He told the court how the kidnappings had caused pandemonium at the hospital and that mothers whose children were still admitted wanted to leave with their babies immediately.
"There is no guarantee that she will stand trial.
"Premeditated kidnapping is a serious offence that carries a hefty sentence," Shanagan said, adding that Rabula has no fixed assets and nothing left to lose.
The formal bail application will continue on Friday.
