How kidnapping trauma forged a friendship between two mothers

For Imaan Sharmar, the mother of alleged kidnapped and rescued infant, Mogamat Imaad Sharmar, healing has come in the form of a new friendship, with Miché Sheldon, also known as Zephany Nurse.

The two young mothers recently became friends, and have used their experiences to make each other stronger.

“Meeting Imaan and hearing her share her experience and testimony of what she went through and is still going through when her son was stolen, reminded me so much of my own mother and what she endured,” said Sheldon.

“I remember when I went through my darkest days, finding out my identity was a lie and it was caused by the only mother I had ever loved, trusted and known.

"I had someone come alongside me, to hold my hand and walked with me through this journey and that's sometimes what we all need, is someone to remind you that you are never alone in your darkest and trying times.”

The woman accused of snatching Sharmar's son, Sameemah Jacobs, 37, was granted R4 000 bail by the Bellville Magistrate's Court a month ago.

Jacobs is expected to appear in court again on October 15.

Sheldon's convicted kidnapper, Lavonna Solomon, had befriended her mother, Celeste Nurse at Groote Schuur hospital in April 1997, pretending to be a nurse.

Seventeen years later in 2015, Solomon was arrested and the child reunited with her parents.

Solomon was convicted of kidnapping, fraud and contravening the Children’s Act and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars in 2016 and was granted parole in 2023.

Sharmar's aunt, Jennifer Williams, who has been supporting her emotionally, said her meeting Sheldon was part of her healing.

“The things that Zephany didn't understand that her mother went through, she can understand now because she is a mother and what Imaan went through," she said.

“There was now someone she could talk to and relate to.”

The Cape Argus met with Sharmar on Thursday and two-and-a-half- month-old Imaad, dressed in a white woolen grower - the same clothing he wore the day police found him in Jacobs’s home in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain.

The clothing item is a reminder of finding her son alive, a  symbol of hope to never give up, Sharmar said.

“This is what he wore when the police gave him to me, she had dressed him in it,” said Sharmar.

During Jacob's bail application, detective sergeant Dawid Fortuin revealed that Jacobs had befriended Sharmar at the local clinic and hospital and had gained her trust, and even took her to the beach and was present at the hospital on the day that Imaad was born.

Sharmar said she had become very close with Jacobs and leaned on her for encouragement and guidance after embarrassing Islam.

“I really didn't think this whole happening would be like this, because it all happened because of her, she was supposed to be my friend," she said.

“She was in pardah, I thought it would be a learning curve for me.

“I took it like, I do not know much about the deen, so I will accept the friendship.

“I was going to join a Madressa and I wanted to be knowledgeable for my two children, that was my intention, that was pure, which I took as a responsibility as a parent so I could fulfil that for them and it really hit me hard when I found it was her, it was mind blowing.”

Hendricks said Sharmar battled with the thought of how someone she had trusted allegedly took her child.

“Imaan, in her mind, it's like she helped the woman steal her child and no one knows what she is going through emotionally because she trusted her, she abused and manipulated her to get the baby,” she added.

"When she was at the clinic with Imaan, think about it, would you sit next to someone and share so much, knowing that this person is going to steal your baby."

Fortuin revealed they were in possession of vital cellphone records which showcased that Jacobs had allegedly represented herself as three different people.

The State is set to prove that Jacobs kidnapped the infant from his mother at Middestad Mall in Bellville under the pretence that she was a volunteer for an NPO.

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Cape Argus