Transporter pleads with court to free 11 accused
“I am the one responsible for this. These people know nothing about the kids as I am the one who took them from Zimbabwe and was transporting them. I pray that this court frees the others,” said a Zimbabwean man charged with smuggling of persons.
Although the cops arrested nine men and three women for allegedly trafficking children between the ages of 2 to 15 years, Khanya Ngwenya wants to face the human trafficking charge alone.
Ngwenya, Wandisile Nkomo, Lord Sibanda, Nthabiseni Ncube, German Chuma, Desire Ncube, Zidle Majikejela, Christopher Dube, Vivian Masendu, Dorcus Ndebele, Alton Ngwenya and Headman Ndlovu were nabbed by the police on Sartuday near Orapa Junction with children packed in a car.
Upon interrogation it emerged the kids were being smuggled from Zimbabwe to South Africa.
As the investigations deepened, all the Zimbabweans, except Ngwenya the transporter did not have travelling documents.
They were then taken before Francistown Magistrate Court where a charge of smuggling of persons was levelled against all the 12.
The other 11 without travelling documents were also slapped with an illegal entery charge.
Securing their remand, Prosecutor Moatlhodi Macheng told court the accused persons were on transit so they do not have a permanent place of abode in Botswana.
“So we plead that they be remanded in custody. The investigations also have just commenced, if the accused persons wish to apply for bail may it be in two weeks,” Prosecutor Macheng said adding that the offence of smuggling is a serious offence more so that it involves children.
He added that they are still to establish the identity of the parents of the smuggled children.
The accused persons were therefore locked up and will be back in court on the 19th.