Two Zimbabwean nationals will apply for bail on Thursday, 14 December, in the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court after they were charged with human trafficking.
This comes after being apprehended by officials on a long-distance bus in Kimberley, which was on its way to Cape Town, with 14 undocumented minors in their company.
The eight boys and six girls are aged six to 14 years.
Lt. Col Tebogo Thebe, Hawks spokesperson, says a multi-disciplinary team comprising of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, the Kimberley Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, and Kimberley Crime Prevention arrested two adults, a man and a woman, who first appeared in court on Thursday, 7 December.
The suspects are the 41-year-old female, Beulla Mandpdukudza Maruza, and the 46-year-old male, Tafadzwa Otis Nakakurwa (46).
This arrest of the two suspects and rescue of the children comes after a case in which the Border Management Authority (BMA) conducted a successful sting operation at the Beitbridge port of entry in Limpopo earlier last week.
The operation by the BMA Border Guard, the Counter Corruption and Security Services Branch of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), and members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) stopped and searched 42 buses from Zimbabwe at Beitbridge.
During the search, 443 unaccompanied minors under the age of eight years were found in the buses, being trafficked into South Africa, with no proof of consent from neither their parents nor guardians.
All persons in the 42 buses were refused entry into South Africa, and after engaging with the Zimbabwean authorities, they were all taken back to Zimbabwe, including the children.
Thebe says the suspects in the latest case were seen boarding a bus in Midrand with the children, where their conduct drew the attention of a fellow passenger.
“Police were alerted to the incident by a vigilant passenger in the bus. The bus made a stopover in Kimberley and the passenger called an off-duty police officer who in turn alerted the multi-disciplinary team for investigation and arrest.
“The suspects claimed to be taking the kids to their parents in Cape Town, information the police could not verify leading to the arrests.”
The provincial head of the Hawks in the Northern Cape, Maj. Gen. Steven Mabuela, appreciated the information from the vigilant caller and the efforts of the off-duty police officer, Sgt Phumla Mpolokeng, which led to the police’s timely intervention.
According to an unverified posting on social media, the concerned passenger on the bus noticed that the children were not excited or noisy, like children would be expected to act when going on holiday.
The children were very quiet, and the passenger noticed that during bus breaks, the children did not get off the bus. The passenger then contacted the police, who intercepted the bus in Kimberley.
The posting was accompanied by a video taken at a filling station in Kimberley where the minors are seen huddling in a group in front of the shop at the filling station, with police vehicles and members on the scene.
The children are still at several places of safety in Kimberley, and on Friday a donation drive was initiated by the police to collect essential items for the children.
It was generously supported by grocery shops, churches, non-governmental organisations, residents, and the mining community.
