Reuniting kidnapped baby with mom a special moment, says social worker

Social worker Portia Marinana, whose investigative skills helped reunite a kidnapped child with his mother, says it was the highlight of her career.

Marinana, 40, a Dora Nginza Hospital social worker in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, noticed something suspicious on a seven-month-old baby’s vaccination card. 

An elderly couple, who believed the baby was their grandson, requested assistance on June 23 to obtain proof of birth because they wanted to register the child with the department of home affairs.

However, Marinana asked the couple to return on June 27 after noticing the child’s name in the road to health booklet had been altered, along with the date of birth.

Marinana then asked admin clerk Kaamiela Eagles to check the name of the mother against the maternity register of people who had given birth on November 26 — the date stipulated on the card.

The suspect’s name did not appear on the list.

Her attention to detail led to the arrest of the alleged kidnapper, Amahle Sigam, 20.

The boy was safely recovered and reunited with his mother.

Marinana was named The Herald NMU Citizen of the Year winner in the health category.

The baby was kidnapped on November 27 shortly after his 33-year-old mother was discharged from Dora Nginza Hospital.

“That was my career highlight,” Marinana said.

“A few weeks after the story broke, it was overwhelming.

“The congratulatory messages were pouring in not only from the people I know, but from total strangers as well. 

“It gets a little funny when people recognise me from the newspaper or TV.

“To my colleagues, I would like to say let us not let our challenges hinder us from rendering good service to our people.

“I also want to ask the community to protect the social workers from being robbed.”

Marinana always wanted to be a social worker while growing up in Zinyoka and Veeplaas.

“The social injustices made me want to be an agent of change. I too was a victim of these social issues.

“My only sister, Khanyiswa Njokweni, was murdered by an intruder at her home in Zinyoka in 2019.

“That was how I related to the mother whose baby was kidnapped. I know the heartbreak.”

Born and bred in Gqeberha, she matriculated from Gqeberha Senior Secondary School in 2002.

She graduated from Nelson Mandela University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in social work.

Like many who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, obtaining a tertiary education was not easy due to financial issues.

“I come from a very low-income family.

“At a young age, I knew I could change my situation at home through education which was why I excelled at school.

“In 2006, I worked at restaurants in Jeffreys Bay, saving money to be able to register at NMU.

“I saved R15,000, and thank God I got a bursary from the department of social development in 2009.”

Immediately after graduating, she worked at the Choc Childhood Cancer Foundation until 2019.

She then started work at Dora Nginza Hospital.

“We are underpaid when compared with other professions.

“I overcome these challenges by [keeping in mind] the rewarding feeling I get when I change a person’s life.”