Judgment in human trafficking case set for next year

State and the defence present closing arguments in trial, which began in 2019

Judgment in the drawn-out trial of seven Chinese citizens charged with human trafficking and child labour in the Johannesburg high court has been set down for January 30.

The state and the defence presented closing arguments in the trial, which began in 2019, on Thursday.

Prosecutor advocate Valencia Dube said there was overwhelming evidence before the court on goings-on at the Chinese Beautiful City factory to find the accused guilty. 

Defence lawyer Johan Kruger accused the multi-departmental inspection blitz team that arrested the accused of having a predetermined intention to build a human trafficking case against the Chinese. 

Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying and Zhang Zhilian were charged with human trafficking, contravention of the Immigration Act, kidnapping, pointing a firearm, debt bondage, benefiting from the services of a victim of trafficking, conduct that facilitates trafficking, illegally assisting person(s) to remain in South Africa and failure to comply with the duties of an employer. 

“They were arrested on November 12 2019 in a joint operation at their premises of a company called Beautiful City based at Village Deep in Johannesburg,” the department of employment and labour said.

The inspection blitz was carried out by the department’s inspection and enforcement services branch with the Hawks and the department of home affairs officials. 

“The operation uncovered illegal immigrants, some of whom were minors, working under horrible conditions and kept in the locked premises of a factory called Beautiful City. The factory produced cotton fibre sheets.” 

Dube argued there was no dispute that the accused managed the factory and exploited the Malawians, knowing they were vulnerable.

She also argued the accused violated South Africa's immigration laws and labour laws by hiring people without papers, not adhering to basic conditions of employment, not adhering to health and safety regulations, and paying wages below the national minimum wage. 

She said to argue that the accused did not know the law was far-fetched, considering their operations were registered with Sars and the companies registrar. 

Kruger said the Malawians, whom the state was trying to protect, came to South Africa on their own volition and were not trafficked.

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