A Zimbabwean youth who was allegedly transporting four children from his homeland to meet up with their parents in South Africa has been arrested for child smuggling.
Having successfully negotiated the border, 23-year-old Arnold Nyoni’s luck run out soon after, when he was nabbed while filling up at the petrol station in Matsiloje.
Apprehended at around 5pm on Friday evening, although Nyoni had the relevant travelling documents, the cops discovered his companions, three boys and a girl, did not have the necessary IDs.
Confirming the incident, Matsiloje Assistant Station Commander, Molebatsi Chingabe revealed the children’s ages ranged from 15 to nine, including two ten-year-olds.
“Upon questioning it emerged they were smuggled in. The suspect was using a Hilux model with a South African number plate,” disclosed the police chief.
Arraigned before Francistown Magistrates Court on Monday, Nyoni was hit with a single charge of smuggling of children.
He was remanded in custody, with the matter postponed to next Monday (12 August) to give the state enough time to avail the children’s parents. The youngsters, not believed to be related, are currently being cared for at a police shelter in Ghetto.
Meanwhile, as the dreadlocked Nyoni was being led away, an interested bystander told The Voice she suspects this is just the start.
“When the schools close in Zim, children visit their parents in South Africa and other neighboring countries. Most of them do not have the travelling papers or passports – that’s why they are being smuggled in. Starting from Thursday this week schools will be closing, so the cops are in for it,” predicted the woman, who is of Zimbabwean descent.
“When they open again, they go back to their country crossing borders illegally, so it is a difficult one,” she continued, before concluding with a sigh, “Such a handsome young man he is too!”
