Police have released a sketch of a woman wanted in connection with the disappearance of one-month-old Iyana Nkumbi from the Amalinda Shoprite Mall on Friday.

The woman, the last to be seen with the baby, is described as 1.68m tall and a medium-built African woman with “large” hips.

She is believed to be about 58 to 60 years of age and was wearing red lipstick, a white top, brown skirt and a white and brown hair band.

Cambridge police spokesperson Capt Mluleki Mbi urged anyone who recognised the woman in the sketch to call the commander of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, Lt Col Njenjese, on 079-890-0762.

Alternatively, Mbi said people could contact the Cambridge police on 043-709-7500.

Little Iyana disappeared at the Amalinda Shoprite Mall at about 3pm on Friday after his mother, Sisiwe Nkumbi, 34, went inside the store to buy medicine for him, while the woman said she would look after him.

When Nkumbi returned from the store, the woman – who had introduced herself only as “Mambathana” – was gone, as was the child.

She was driving a white VW Polo hatchback.

The woman depicted in the police drawing allegedly befriended Nkumbi at a Duncan Village clinic and offered to drive her home.

She volunteered to buy medicine for baby Iyana at the mall.

Speaking to the Dispatch on Wednesday, Nkumbi said she was praying night and day for the safe return of her child.

“I made the sketch of the suspect myself after I was shown different facial features and profiles on a computer by the police and I started picking them and formed a perfect face.

“I am pretty sure I got her looks right.

“If anyone sees any woman who was not pregnant but has a newborn baby, please, go to the police. That might be my baby,” the distraught mother said.

The Dispatch visited the busy mall on Tuesday afternoon and spoke to owner Albert Mnyamana.

He revealed the mall had no CCTV cameras.