Baby Siwaphiwe's mother and lover in court

The mother of baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo‚ S’bongile‚ and her lover‚ Phumlani Mbokazi‚ made a brief appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

The pair face charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

The latter charge related to how they allegedly misled police into performing a massive search for the one-month-old after a “hijacking” incident that had people around the country praying for the safe return of the baby.

Times Media revealed‚ however‚ that a secret love affair lay at the heart of the baby’s abduction‚ which culminated in her being found after two nights with her kidnappers and a car chase.

Their fleeting appearance in the dock on Tuesday was merely to adjourn the case while investigations continue.

According to evidence before court‚ the state was still quantifying the losses incurred when authorities searched for the child.

S’bongile‚ Siwaphiwe’s biological mother‚ told police that she was hijacked near the City View shopping centre with gunmen speeding off with her baby.

This lead to an intensive search that ended after her boyfriend‚ Mbokazi‚ was caught with the child while driving towards Durban.