Seven Chinese Nationals Jailed 20 Years Each for Trafficking Malawians in South Africa

Seven Chinese nationals have been sentenced to 20 years in prison each by the Johannesburg High Court after being found guilty of human trafficking charges involving Malawian nationals.

The convicts — Kevin Tsao, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian — were in March convicted on 158 counts of kidnapping and forced labour. The case involved 91 Malawians, including minors, who were rescued during a 2019 Hawks raid at Beautiful City Pty Ltd, a factory located in Village Deep, Johannesburg.

During the raid, authorities discovered that the Malawians were undocumented and had been subjected to inhumane working conditions.

They were denied proper wages, leave days, and basic rights, effectively trapped in what investigators described as modern-day slavery.

Delivering judgment, the court outlined the seriousness of the offenses, noting that the syndicate exploited vulnerable migrants for profit.

Source: Times 360 Malawi