A South African woman who snatched a newborn baby and raised her as her own for nearly 18 years was today banned by a judge from any contact with the child. The 50-year-old was ordered to live at a secret address isolated from the girl she'd brought up and the husband she'd deceived when she appeared in court following her arrest for kidnapping. Yesterday the biological mother of Zephany Nurse who was snatched from her arms in hospital in April 1997, thanked the stranger who had brought her up for 'doing a good job' in an exclusive interview with MailOnline. Today Celeste and Morne Nurse were forced to stand in the packed Cape Town Magistrates Court as the seamstress who had stolen their three day old baby was granted bail with strict conditions. Scroll down for video . Shock: Celeste Nurse, pictured wearing a hat arriving at court next to her ex-husband Morne, has said she forgives the seamstress who took her daughter, who today was granted bail with strict conditions . Horror: Zephany was just three days old when a woman walked into the room at Groote Schuur Hospital and took her from sleeping Celeste's arms - not to be seen again by her family for many years . The stout middle-aged woman, wearing an animal print t-shirt and black leggings, dabbed her eyes with a tissue as magistrate Grant Engel warned her to stay away from the daughter and husband she'd deceived. The seamstress, from a poverty-stricken suburb of Cape Town, looked grief-stricken but managed to smile weakly at a clutch of friends who had gathered to support her in court. Outside court, Judith Wasserfall, a neighbour of the accused was emotional as she recalled the day her friend had brought her baby girl home from hospital in April 1997. 'We were so thrilled for her, she looked so happy,' she said. 'We have watched that child grow up, what a lovely girl she is. 'We helped change her nappies and she was so cute and smiley, everyone loved her, she played with my own daughters. 'As a mother and child they just seemed just to fit together – like a proper family. The mother is a lovely, lovable woman, always smiling and kind and will do anything for you. 'We are all just in shock, and pain. Now the house is empty, and we miss them. 'It was the husband who came to tell us what had happened, when she had been arrested for kidnap. My knees went weak, I felt numb when he told us. 'He looked shocked, broken, he didn't know a thing. No one did, only she knew this secret and she kept it all these years.' Relief: Unbelievably, Celeste has revealed she has already forgiven the woman who kidnapped her daughter . Shock: Zephany (pictured) is coming to terms with the fact her family is not who she thought they were . Zephany, who was given a different name by the woman – neither of whom can be identified – is being cared for by social workers and has met her biological family three times since discovering her real identity. It is understood she has also seen the man she thought of as her father, who was in court but unable to answer any questions, only shaking his head in apparent shock. The girl, who turns 18 next month, learned she had been stolen at birth following an extraordinary twist of fate when her long lost sister, 13-year-old Cassidy Nurse, joined her school. Unaware they were related, the girls struck up a close friendship, despite their age difference, and soon became inseparable. Once Morne, 37, learned of his daughter's new older friend 'who looks just like us', he sought her out and immediately felt an inexplicable bond with the girl. The electrical sales rep then carried out his own investigation into the 17-year-old, scanning her Facebook page for information which would help prove she was the three-day-old baby who'd been taken from his sleeping wife's arms. Anger: There is a feeling of betrayal in the community where Zephany was raised on the Cape Flats, with many questioning how this lie has been able to go on beneath their noses for so many years . Precious: The family only have a few photos of Zephany taken before she was snatched. Here she is with her uncle Abraham Nurse in Hospital on April 29, 1997 . The father of four told MailOnline, 'When I saw Zephany for the first time the feeling was there completely. 'I looked at her and I don't know what it was, but I fell in love with my daughter when I saw her, I thought 'wow what is this feeling?' I don't know how to express myself, it was confusion, attraction, confusion, it was everything all in one. 'And she said later that it was the same from her.' He downloaded a picture of the woman who was raising Zephany from the girl's Facebook page and sent it to a witness who had seen the woman, dressed in a nurse's uniform, carrying the baby away from Celeste as she slept, heavily medicated following a Cesarean section. She confirmed that it was the kidnapper she had seen at the Groote Schuur Hospital more than 17 years before. Morne also sent a photograph of the girl to Celeste, 36, who immediately recognised her as Zephany. 'When he sent me the photo I burst into tears, she looked exactly like Cassidy. She had the same face, ear lobes, nose, she was the same. I said 'this is my daughter'. Instinct: Morne Nurse (centre, arriving at court with ex-wife Celeste, left) said he recognised his nearly 18-year-old daughter immediately - despite not having seen her since she was just three days old . Appeals: The family has worked hard to make sure people don't forget about their missing daughter over the years, including a big appeal in 2010 in the local newspaper the Cape Argus, but no one ever come forward . Once they were satisfied that they had enough evidence, they contacted police who carried out DNA tests and proved they had traced their own child. During the short court hearing, the accused did not look in the direction of Morne and Celeste – who are now divorced. Both families have lived only streets apart for all of Zephany's life and the poverty-stricken community of Lavender Hill, where drugs and gangs are rife, are divided over the extraordinary story. It is understood that the baby snatcher had had a still birth before she took Zephany and was able to breastfeed the newborn and bring her home from hospital without raising suspicion, even from her own husband. The packed, wood-pannelled court heard that the accused is in 'precarious health', and is understood to suffer from diabetes and a heart condition. Prosecutor Bonnie Currie-Gamwo did not oppose the application for bail, which was set at 350 pounds. The woman will have to report to the police station near to her new address which was not revealed in court. Releasing the woman on bail, Mr Engel ordered her to ' make no contact directly or indirectly with any witnesses in this matter, including the child'. He specified that this included 'via Facebook, social media, whatsapp, or sending any messages with third parties'. She is next due to appear in court on May 29.
Seamstress banned from contacting girl she snatched from mother's arms . Went on to raise Zephany Nurse as her own - even tricking her husband . Thought the 50-year-old had suffered a stillbirth shortly before the kidnap . Zephany has now finally been reunited with her biological family . Remarkable twist of fate meant Zephany became friends with her sister, 13 . Similarities between the girls instantly noticed and the lie was uncovered . Magistrate orders woman to live at secret address and not contact husband .