COUPLE ARRESTED FOR REGISTERING STEP-KIDS AS OWN

SITEKI – A woman has learnt the hard way that registering stepchildren as your own is a criminal offence.

Ncamsile Treasure Ndzinisa (34) of Mehlwabovu, under Chief Mlayeto, was arrested after she registered two stepchildren as her own. She was arrested after the biological mother of her stepchildren reportedly opened a case against her. Ndzinisa was charged together with her husband, Sihle Lukhele (35) of Mehlwabovu, who is the biological father of the children. The couple was charged with two counts of contravening Section 31, as read with Section 34 (2) of the Births, Marriages and Deaths Act of 1983. “On 23rd January 2012, at or near Siteki town in the Lubombo District, the accused persons, acting jointly in the furtherance of a common purpose, did wrongfully, unlawfully and wilfully cause to be entered by the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Ncamsile Maseko, wrong particulars of (one of the children’s) birth certificate that he was born of Ncamsile Treasure Ndzinisa (accused), as his biological mother, whereas (name withheld) is the biological mother,” reads in part the charge sheet.

In the second count, the couple was also charged with contravening the same Act in that they registered another child as a biological offspring of Ndzinisa yet the minor is only a stepchild to Ndzinisa. The couple appeared before Magistrate Cebsile Ngwenya, who was sitting at Siteki Magistrates Court.

Guilty

They both pleaded guilty to the offences and they further elected to conduct their own defence when they were informed of their right to legal representation. Prosecutors accepted both pleas without leading evidence and they further informed the court that the couple had no records of previous conviction thus they should be treated as first offenders. The court found the couple guilty as per their own pleas. However, in mitigation, the couple pleaded with the court to pass a lenient sentence. Ndzinisa (the stepmother) told the court that she did not know that registering the children as her own was a criminal offence. “We apologise for having committed the offence. We were concerned about the welfare of the children. We wanted them to be admitted to school,” she said. The court asked the couple if they were married and they answered to the affirmative.

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