.A judge in South Africa recently found seven Chinese nationals guilty of human trafficking and kidnapping six years after a raid of the factory they were running in the country. The police raid was due to a tip-off provided by an escaped worker. And thanks to that tip, four men and three women were convicted on 156 of the 160 charges against them and now face a 20-year prison sentence.
Secreted in and trapped at work
Six years ago, police uncovered severe labor exploitation at a factory, where 91 Malawian nationals—including 37 children—were forced to work 11-hour shifts, seven days a week without training or safety equipment.
The BBC reports one of the men from the factory testified:
“…workers were not allowed to leave the heavily guarded factory premises, even to buy food, which he described as dirty and unsuitable for human beings.”
South African labor laws limit work to nine hours a day. They also guarantee a weekly rest period of at least 36 consecutive hours. Yet these workers were paid far below the minimum wage of $1.64 (£1.22) per hour. Additionally, any time off led to further deductions from their already meagre pay.
Trafficking trifecta
South Africa is a “source, transit and destination” for human trafficking, according to the government. And as such, it is a major concern in the country. Speaking about the ruling, spokesperson for the government Phindi Mjonondwane said he felt the sentence would help bolster their fight against human trafficking.
Mjonondwane further stated:
“Human trafficking has become a scourge in our country, we have become a destination… for human trafficking [due to] various reasons, including our porous borders,”
The department of labor also welcomed the sentences. The department took part in the raid that led to the ruling by the court. Pointing to the successful conviction they urge greater collaboration between government departments as crucial to “root out all these issues.”
Freedom United echos the department of labor’s call for greater cooperation and collaboration not just between departments, but across borders and oceans. Only by working together can we end modern slavery.
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