Sameemah Jacobs Denies Kidnapping Mogamat Imaad Sharmar, Claims Mother Gave Her the One-Week-Old

• Sameemah Jacobs made her second appearance in court, charged with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice
• The woman is accused of kidnapping Mogamat Imaad Sharmar, the one-week-old who was taken from the Middestad Mall in Bellville
• Police are also investigating claims by a pregnant 15-year-old who said she was approached by a woman claiming she was from the Zoey Project

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – The woman accused of kidnapping a nine-day-old baby from the Middestad Mall in Bellville has denied any wrongdoing.

Sameemah Jacobs (37) made her second appearance in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on 10 July 2025, charged with kidnapping Mogamat Imaad Sharmar. The little one was kidnapped on 28 June 2025, after his mother fell ill and left him with a woman who claimed that she was from the Zoey Project, an organisation that provides support to mothers.

He was found two days later at a Tafelsig home in Mitchells Plain, where Jacobs was arrested.

Jacobs claims mother gave her the baby

During Jacobs’ second appearance, Sergeant Dawid Fortuin of the Serious and Violent Crimes Kidnapping Unit took to the stand. Fortuin recently appeared in court during the Joslin Smith trial, as he conducted the lead interviews with Kelly Smith, Steveno van Rhyn, and Jacquin Appollis.

During his testimony in the current case, Fortuin explained that police had obtained a statement from a witness who knew the accused.

In her statement, the witness said that she visited Jacobs at the Bellville Police Station following her arrest to question her about the baby. Friends and family of the accused believed her to be pregnant and did not suspect anything when she returned home with a baby. When the witness asked Jacobs what was going on, she allegedly stated that she could not say.

“She said everything was duurmekaar (confusing) and that her husband made her so confused,” Fortuin read from the witness’s statement.

The witness also asked Jacobs whether she took the baby, to which she said that the mother, Imaan Sharmar, gave her the baby. She admitted to the witness that they did eat at Hungry Lion and had a cold drink, but maintained that she didn’t poison the baby’s mother.

“She alleges that the complainant said she is going to give the baby to her because she gave her takkies and money,” the statement read.

Jacobs also claimed that Shamar wanted more stuff as well.

Accused lost her baby in May 2025

Fortuin also revealed to the court that Jacobs was pregnant as she told family and friends, but sadly lost the baby in May 2025.

She didn’t tell anyone about this, and still pretended to visit the hospital where she claimed to have given birth to the baby. She was even picked up at the hospital with the baby by the witness, and had hospital documentation such as birth records. The records appeared to have had the date and time scratched out and made to look like it was 28 June.

Fortuin also said that police were busy with another complaint where a pregnant 15-year-old girl alleged that she was visited by a woman who also claimed to be from the Zoey Project. At this stage, it is unclear whether Jacobs was that woman. Jacobs faces charges of kidnapping and defeating the ends of administrative justice, but could face additional charges as investigations are still underway. The matter has been postponed to 17 July.

Mother of 3 appears in court

Briefly News reported that Sameemah Jacobs made a brief appearance in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on 3 July 2025.

The 37-year-old was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a one-week-old baby boy from a Belville Mall in June.

Jacobs' family weighed in on her arrest, explaining how it came as a total surprise to them.

Source: Briefly News