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The seven face charges of human trafficking, kidnapping and violation of labour laws.
A witness told the court of the painful working conditions he experienced at the Johannesburg factory.
A witness, who testified against the seven Chinese nationals accused of human trafficking, was told by the defence that he had committed a crime by entering South Africa without a passport. As you are standing here today, you are an illegal immigrant. Do you agree? advocate Jannie Kruger, for the accused, told State witness Matola Ndika during cross-examination on Thursday.
Responding, Ndika said: That is true, I don t have a passport.
The lawyer representing seven Chinese nationals, accused of human trafficking, told a witness his clients will deny they kept him at their Johannesburg factory against his will.
Department of Employment and Labour
Seven Chinese nationals are currently on trial in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
The seven face charges of human trafficking, kidnapping and violation of labour laws.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A State witness has told the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg of the painful and difficult working conditions, he and his colleagues allegedly experienced at a Johannesburg factory owned by seven Chinese nationals accused of human trafficking.
Matola Ndika was testifying in the trial against Kevin Tsao, Dai Junying, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao and Zhang Zhilian, which is currently underway.
Supplied
The seven face charges of human trafficking, kidnapping and violation of labour laws.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg heard allegations of how seven Chinese nationals, accused of human trafficking, treated employees at their Johannesburg factory.
The trial against Kevin Tsao, Dai Junying, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao and Zhang Zhilian is currently underway. Aufi told the court that, initially, the Chinese refused to open the gates until the police climbed over to free them, and how the accused tried to bribe the police with food, the department said.
Chinese nationals back in court over human trafficking charges
Seven Chinese nationals face 160 counts, many of them relating to the violation of labour laws in South Africa
The matter continued the previous week, but had to be adjourned because Chichewe and Mandarin interpreters were not available at the time.
The accused – Kevin Tsao, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying and Zhang Zhilian – have already been indicted on charges of human trafficking, debt bondage, kidnapping and pointing of a firearm.
The four men and three women were nabbed in November 2019 as part of a sting operation conducted by the department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch in Gauteng, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Home Affairs and the Hawks.