Employment and Labour Deputy Minister (DM), Jomo Sibiya will on Friday (7 March 2025) attend the sentencing proceedings of seven Chinese nationals found guilty of human trafficking and child labour at the Gauteng South Division Court in Johannesburg.

On 25 February 2025, the seven Chinese nationals were found guilty on 160 Counts. The criminals are Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian. The accused were facing schedule six offenses. 

The Chinese were found guilty of not registering with the Compensation Fund and declaring their operations; failure to keep records of their earnings; failure to submit their return on earnings; failure to pay and declare assessments; failure to maintain a safe workplace; failure to report incidents; failure to register and declare with Unemployment Insurance Fund Commissioner; failure to inform the Commissioner on Unemployment Insurance changes; guilty of human trafficking; aiding/facilitating human trafficking; bondage; benefiting from victims of human trafficking; assisting illegals to remain in South Africa.

The seven criminals follow their arrest on 12 November 2019 in a joint operation carried out at their premises - Beautiful City Pty Ltd based at Village Deep in Johannesburg. The joint inspection blitz was carried out by the Department of Employment and Labour's Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch together with the South African Police Service (SAPS)/ Hawks Unit and the Department of Home Affairs, following a tip-off.

The joint operation uncovered illegal immigrants some of whom were minors working under horror conditions and kept in the locked premises of Beautiful City. The factory produced cotton fibre sheets.

The guilty party are in custody following the cancelation of bail, except one accused who is out on medical grounds. 

For more information, contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson 082 697 0694/ Teboho.Thejane@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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