4, 000km trek ends at Tatisiding roadblock
After a month on the road, covering close to 4, 000km and sneaking through four countries, five Ethiopians’ efforts to reach South Africa ended at a roadblock near Tatisiding on Sunday afternoon.
The East Africans: Awol Chichamo, Mvout Wojomo, Mikatas Feleka and Almao Matos, aged between 20 and 25, as well as a 17-year-old minor, were found hidden in the back of a small truck during a routine stop-and-search operation on 30 March.
The truck’s driver, Zimbabwean native, Faith Ncube, 38, and her passenger, a 28-year-old local man, Obakeng Ngwako, were also arrested.
Initially charged with entering the country illegally, Francistown Magistrate, Tshepo Magetse decided the five Ethiopians were in fact victims of human trafficking after hearing their story.
“We left Ethiopia by bus going to Kenya. Everything like transport and food was paid for us to arrive in South Africa. P66, 000 was paid for each of us. When we left Kenya to Tanzania we used a different car. We kept changing cars until we reached here,” Chichamo told court during their appearance on Wednesday.
Despite the huge sums of money involved – P330, 000 altogether – the Ethiopians claimed they had no idea who stumped up the cash, only that it came from ‘somebody’ in South Africa, where they were being taken to meet relatives.
Suspecting the foreigners may have been tricked, Magistrate Magetse ruled they be repatriated back to their country. Judging from their beaming smiles, it was a decision that went down well with the five tired travellers!
They will remain at Gerald Centre for Illegal Immigrants until their flight home is sorted – meaning it will take them just over five hours to return, having toiled for nearly 30 days to get here!
Meanwhile, appearing in a different courtroom, Ncube and Ngwako were charged with aiding and abetting the Ethiopians’ entry into Botswana.
Both were granted bail on condition they bind themselves with P1, 000 and provide two sureties for the same amount.
The duo are due back in court on 29 April – by which time their human cargo will have long returned home!
