In a landmark ruling delivered by the High Court in Johannesburg, seven Chinese nationals have been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of heinous offences related to kidnapping and forced labour. The court’s decision comes in the wake of a highly publicised case concerning the exploitation of Malawian nationals in South Africa.
The accused—identified as Kevin Tsao, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian—were convicted in March on 158 counts that included kidnapping and forcing individuals into labour without compensation. The grim circumstances of their crimes involved the exploitation of 91 undocumented Malawians, many of whom were minors, who were discovered working under perilous conditions in a factory known as Beautiful City Pty Ltd, located in Village Deep.
This sweeping raid, executed by the Hawks in 2019, unveiled not just the shocking realities of human trafficking but also highlighted the urgent need for stringent measures against such practices in South Africa. Workers were found living in deplorable conditions, deprived of basic rights such as proper payment and time off.
The case has drawn significant attention, not only for its chilling revelations but also for the responses from the families of the accused. Nancy Xiao, the daughter of one of the convicted men, has voiced strong sentiments regarding the verdict. “We all think this is just a small problem. Nobody tells [told us] what’s going on and how serious it is. They’re lying to them; they [the accused] can’t understand English,” she contended. She further claimed that the previous lawyer, referred to as Kruger, was aware of the true nature of the situation but did not communicate this effectively to the defendants.
This trial serves as a critical juncture in the fight against human trafficking in South Africa, shedding light on systemic issues within the country and the urgent need for better communication and legal representation for non-English-speaking defendants.