Zambia makes headlines in America! woohoo!!!

[Member of the public]

Dear Zambia,

Orange County man reunited with kidnapped son 4 years later
Friday, October 18, 2013

CYPRESS, Calif. (KABC) - An Orange County man has been reunited with his son, who was kidnapped by his mother and taken to Africa four years ago.

John Cotton Sr. married 34-year-old Silvia Chilombo Mulenga, a native of Zambia, in 2005, but the couple divorced in 2008. They had joint custody of their 4-year-old son, John Cotton Jr.

In 2009, Mulenga lost her job, was evicted from her home and her visa had expired. When she told the court she intended to return to Zambia, a court order was issued prohibiting her from taking the child. Mulenga allegedly ignored the court order and took the child to Zambia in December 2009 during her weekend visitation.

"The clothes were gone, most of the furniture was gone, and I knew then what most likely had happened," John Cotton Sr. said.

He says his ex-wife used a falsified passport to smuggle their son from Anaheim to Zambia. The abduction was reported to the Cypress Police Department on Dec. 4, 2009. To the father's horror, Zambia does not have any treaty that would help him get his son back.

"I almost lost it," he said.

After an investigation of the case, a family court awarded full custody to the father. The FBI learned in July 2013 that the child and the boy's grandmother traveled to the Netherlands to visit the boy's uncle, who is a professional soccer player. John Cotton Sr. rushed there with court orders from the Orange County D.A. and the state department.

"I would pray each night in hope that something positive would come out, and eventually, I would have my son," he said.

Dutch authorities took the child, and after more than three months of court proceedings in the Netherlands, John Cotton Sr. was allowed this week to retrieve his son, who is now 8 years old. The father and son returned to California Wednesday.

"It's like a dream come true," he said. "This place is no longer just a house. It's a home."

It's a new life that comes with new adjustments. John Cotton Jr. misses Zambia.

"Sometimes I would play on the grass, running barefoot; sometimes I would ride my bike on the road," the boy said.

Cotton says they will both get counseling from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, helping his son learn that above all, he is a boy loved by both parents. His dad is now making up for lost time.

The child's mother was charged with one felony count of child abduction, but she was never extradited because in Zambia, parental abductions are not against the law. If she should return to the U.S., she could face arrest for kidnapping and falsifying government documents.

[Edward Mumba]

Well done for putting this on Zambia online as this issue is given Zambian people a bad name internationally because Zambian women are doing this all over the world. in recent times there have been at least two other cases. The Zambian lady who took her children from England to Zambia and lost the case in Zambia and the children were sent back to England. Recently, we have had the Zambian lady who took her children from their fathers in Ireland.

[Napapa]

I'm not understanding this.

You guys are supporting the man?

Why are you supporting laws of another country? In our laws there is nothing like kidnapping your own kid! But just because the West tells you that it is against their laws, you turn to their side and condemn your own for doing what is perfectly legal in our country. Mwana wakwe. It's not kidnapping.

[Chimbuzi]

Napapa

I'm not understanding this.

If you are a girl, why do you find it incomprehensible that Zambian men, regardless of international borders, are advocating the rights of the father?? Shit like this happens everywhere on this planet. In this instance, the instinct that kicks in is that of a father, not a Zambian. I hope you can appreciate that concept.

Not everything in life is about West vs Whatever.

[Slumdog shalapungu]

What stands out to me is how the kids opinion in all this is ignored. The kid clearly says he misses Zambia and playing on the grass , he did not say he misses america so why do the courts not take that into consideration. At least pa zed he will have an extended network of help blulus and will grow up with children not mentally effed up like ku america. In america he will literally have to watch his back because you know these bazungu and how they like to gwila gwila bafana . And even these evil ass kids in schools in america are something else, pa zed when you walk in a classroom kids get back and greet you. Ku stango baiche bali na ntota too much

[The Red man]

In this case I support the Black man. The Black American father.

[Iluba Lyandi]

Such a shame I know the mother and the boy very well.

[No sheet]

From the reports I have read, this woman told Dutch authorities that the boy's father was physically abusive. This was an attempt to demonize the father and prevent him from winning custody. The Dutch did their own investigation which included questioning the boy. They concluded the accusation of physical abuse were total fabrications.

This woman is the one who decided to leave Zambia, go to the US, marry an american and have a child with him. When things didn't work out, she broke US law and escaped illegally with the boy. If you were in that father's shoes what would you do? She could have chosen to live in the US and the two of them could share custody. Even if sole custody is awarded to one parent, the other parent usually has visitation rights.

When you marry internationally, you have to be ready to face the consequences of all that comes with such arrangements.

[Basop]

Can you imagine growing up with just your dad and not your mum?

This is punishment for the kid.

[Shuzi]

[quote="Basop"]Can you imagine growing up with just your dad and not your mum?
This is punishment for the kid.[/quote]


So is the other way around. A boy growing up without a father is f*cked. This baby momma shuda stayed close to the boy's father so they could find some way to raise him together. This shit about taking the boy thousands of miles away from his father ain't funny.

[Wazzup]

@ Slumdog, of course the kid is going to talk about all he's known/lived. What do you expect? He was brought to Zambia 4 years ago and he's only 8 now. We're not to use the "grassstick" to define a kid happiness. You have a lot to say about America [wasn't a great experience for you, huh?], at least you obviously gave living there a shot; why can't this Ameican kid (whether you care to admit it or not) be allowed to be around all the opportunity where he clearly can dream all he can be - best of all the other important 1/2 of his origin? The mother is the one who started playing the unfair game of cutting the other party out and unfortunately she and the rest of the bululus must now dance to the music. Besides, apart from the mother's brother being a pro soccer player, I don't see that she can hold her own professionally/financially.

Newsflash, boys do need their fathers in their lives and from the passion we've seen so far from this boy's father, this kid will do just great and grow up into a fine man in America.
When all's said and done, the father is just as entitled to be around his child just as much as the mother is. Best of luck to all involved.

[҈҈҉҉҈҈҉҉҈҈҉҉҈҈҉҉҈҈҉҉]

Wazzup

The creature you refer to as @Slumdog is usually a misogynistic Afrocentric son of a bitch who in any given situation, will side with anyone if that person is male and Black. In this case that person would be the Black American father of the boy. But the idiot slumdog only switched sides to support the Zambian mother because he wanted to play his favorite role of being a pain in the ass. It’s that simple.

[Al Capone of Chawama]

Who said anything about kidnapping? The boy doesn't need either abusive Zambian or American parents. People need to get their facts straight. America is no child's Paradise. Custody battles, Divorce etc. Zambia's early marriage culture is no help either. Its screwed all round.

[Chikutumbwe]

iwe ka Al Capone of Chawama

The child is only 8 years old. If your life has been f*cked up, don't dump your frustrations on the kid. Give him a chance. Maybe he will be the next "Barack Obama".

[Al Capone of Chawama]

Chikutumbwe wrote :
> iwe ka Al Capone of Chawama
>
> The child is only 8 years old. If your life has been f*cked up, don't dump
> your frustrations on the kid. Give him a chance. Maybe he will be the next
> "Barack Obama".

More like the next Charles Manson if you asked me. You Zambian fúckers! want to kill this country. Well go ahead take your SlumBıtches wich 'ya.

[Al Capone of Chawama]

Chikutumbwe wrote :
> iwe ka Al Capone of Chawama
>
> The child is only 8 years old. If your life has been f*cked up, don't dump
> your frustrations on the kid. Give him a chance. Maybe he will be the next
> "Barack Obama".

More like the next Charles Manson if you asked me. You Zambian fúckers! want to kill this country. Well go ahead take your SlumBıtches wich 'ya.

[Chikutumbwe]

All that anger on an eight year old boy! Iwe kombwe chawama iwe, you got some serious issues. angry dwarfs like you will one day make headlines too. The FBI most wanted list

[raymond]

Malibu yakuifywila... Chilombo married John cotton knowing very well that he was homosexual. "NB" she wanted to get the green card. Things went wrong wen John moved to live with is Boyfriend. Nama frustrations ya ku lwisha ku USA, became difficult and she ran away.. Made a passport from here Zed by peter the current husband ku kitwe. And sent it to USA like umwaiche mu zedian. Chiliule chamu kitwe. Chupo chabanani echo tapasanganyapo! Boy enjoy states

[Should I patent my caterpillar recipe here in Europe?]

Is this the rumor our Zambian sister Silvia is spreading in Zambia? That her ex is gay? Whatever. He knocked her up, didn't he? And got her pregnant. Gay or not, he has the boy noy. She is in Zambia and the americans have already warned her if she ever sets foot on american soil, her ass is going to jail. She will have plenty of time in Zambia to spread rumors

[My pumpkin leaves and groundnuts recipe is a hit]

Many scorned women in America accuse their exes of being gay. It’s a desperate attempt to win sympathy from their girlfriends and relatives.