Seven Chinese nationals jailed 20 years in South Africa for human trafficking
The four men and three women were earlier this year convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping, following their 2019 arrest after authorities raided a Johannesburg factory where 91 Malawians, including 37 children, were being held and exploited.
Seven Chinese nationals who trafficked Malawians into South Africa and forced them into inhumane working conditions have each been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a South African court.
The four men and three women were earlier this year convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping, following their 2019 arrest after authorities raided a Johannesburg factory where 91 Malawians, including 37 children, were being held and exploited.
The convicts — Kevin Tsao, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian — were found guilty on 158 out of 160 charges. These ranged from aiding illegal immigrants to stay in the country, running unregistered operations, and violating labour laws.
The sentencing closes a case that exposed how workers were smuggled into South Africa in shipping containers and forced to work long shifts under harsh conditions.
According to testimony, they were made to work 11 hours daily, seven days a week, without training or protective gear. Pay was well below the legal minimum of $1.64 (about Sh214) an hour, and wages were cut when workers asked for time off.
One worker told the court that they were barred from leaving the factory premises, which were under constant guard, and were given food he described as dirty and unfit for human beings.
Authorities said the factory, named Beautiful City, produced inner cottons for blankets using recycled material. Tsao worked as the manager while the others served as supervisors. The factory came under scrutiny after an escapee tipped off law enforcement, leading to the raid.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling, saying it strengthens the country’s response to trafficking. "Human trafficking has become a scourge in our country, we have become a destination as South Africa for human trafficking [due to] various reasons, including our porous borders," spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
The Department of Labour, which took part in the raid, also praised the court’s decision and urged stronger coordination between state agencies to stamp out such crimes.
