​The matter of seven Chinese nationals arrested last November for alleged human trafficking and violation of South Africa’s labour laws was today (27 November) postponed in the Johannesburg High Court for further pre-trial.

The seven Chinese nationals arrested last November for alleged human trafficking and violation of South Africa’s labour laws are: Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian.

In court today the debate centred around the conclusion of pre-trial and access to video footage, which the defence said was confiscated by the police and wants access to it. The matter was transferred in September to the Johannesburg High Court by Magistrate Basimane Molwana of the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.

The accused, who are out on bail, are facing schedule six offences. They are set to be charged with 160 counts of crime. These relate to contravention of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, Unemployment Insurance Act, Unemployment Contributions Act, Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, kidnapping, contravention of Immigration Act, knowingly employing illegal foreigners, human trafficking, kidnapping, pointing a firearm, debt bondage, benefitting from the services of a victim of trafficking, conduct that facilitates trafficking, illegally assisting person(s) to remain in South Africa, knowingly employing illegal foreigners, and failure to comply with duties of an employer.

The Department of Employment and Labour is involved in the matter to press for the prosecution of the accused for violating South Africa’s labour laws. 　

The seven accused - four males and three females - appearing in the matter were arrested for allegedly running an illegal enterprise called Beautiful City Pty Ltd located at Village Deep in Johannesburg. They were nabbed in a joint operation conducted by the DEL’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) in partnership with the South African Police Services (SAPS), Department of Home Affairs and the police’s Hawks Unit.

Their arrests followed a tip-off that the Chinese nationals were allegedly involved in the trafficking of illegal immigrants into South Africa and subjecting them to forced labour.

During the joint blitz 91 Malawian nationals were found in the factory, 37 of them were children. In their bail hearing the Court heard that the Malawians working in the Chinese factory were transported to South Africa using containers. The Malawians are alleged to have been brought to South Africa by a middleman known as "the transporter" who is still on the run.

Judge van Veendaal has postponed the matter to 03 December 2020.