Three men are set to reappear in the Reddersburg Magistrates’ Court today – 6 May – charged with human trafficking. This relates to a 14-year-old boy from Malawi trafficked for child labour. The suspects are Ethiopian Erdedo Hadero (39), and the Malawian pair Mustafa Maisi (35) and Serious Katema (30).
Their appearance pertains their application for bail. The Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit pounced on them on 22 April.
Lt Col Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the preliminary findings reveal that Maisi is a cousin of the trafficked victim, and that Katema allegedly facilitated the employment of the minor to the Ethiopian, who owns a shop in the Free State town located just 60 km outside Bloemfontein.
He said the discovery of the trafficked minor and the trio’s arrest followed an inspection campaign conducted on 17 April by officials of the Department of Home Affairs and Reddersburg police members.
“Upon arrival at a certain tuck shop, they found the victim who was employed as a cleaner. The victim was earning R1 000 per month, allegedly paid to his cousin who is based in Bloemfontein.”
Lt Col Zweli Mohobeleli
He added that further probing discovered that only the Ethiopian was documented, while the pair of Maisi and Katema were in the country illegally – facing a charge of contravening the Immigration Act in South Africa.
“The minor is under the care of the Department of Social Development,” said Mohobeleli, adding that the investigation will determine when the victim arrived in the country.
