Chinese gold miners get two-month jail term
Two Chinese men who came to Botswana with golden dreams of getting rich quick will instead spend Christmas behinds bars after being jailed for two months by Masunga Magistrates Court .
The duo, Haiyan Xiong, 49, and Goushen Xiong, 42, were also hit with P1, 000 fines during Friday’s sentencing, having admitted to illegal mining and being caught in possession of a raw precious metal.
The two Xiongs, along with their countrymen, Qingxion Zhou, 45, and Kaijin Zhou, 42, as well as a 20-year-old Rakops native, Vezera Willy, were arrested by security agents near Sechele village on 23 October.
They were found with suspected gold and subsequently charged for unlawful possession.
While both Xiongs pleaded guilty, their three co-accused all protested their innocence, entering not-guilty pleas.
They were let out on a P10, 000 bail, and ordered to surrender their travelling documents and cellphones.
Unlike the other three, the Haiyan and Goushen have no residence permit, and do not own any business or assets in the country.
In the country on a visitor’s visa, the two Chinamen will now be treated to a two-month stay in a local prison. They will at least be out in time to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which falls on 10 February 2024.
Meanwhile, Qingxion, Kaijin and Willy look set to go to trial.
