A South African court on Wednesday (10th) sentenced 7 Chinese citizens to 20 years in prison for forcing over 90 Malawian nationals to work at a sweatshop factory in Johannesburg, some of whom were as young as 14 years old.
South Africa, the most industrialized country in Africa, has attracted undocumented immigrants from various parts of Africa, with some being lured into forced labor with restricted freedom.
The 7 Chinese nationals convicted include 4 men and 3 women. In November 2019, South African police arrested them during a raid on a factory called “Beautiful City” in Johannesburg. It was reported that the factory manufactured cotton inner linings for down comforters.
The prosecution stated that an investigation revealed that between 2017 and 2019, the factory employed 91 undocumented Malawians, including 16 individuals aged between 14 and 16. They were forced to work shifts 7 days a week, 11 hours a day under armed guard with restricted movement.
These 7 Chinese criminals were convicted in February this year on charges including human trafficking, forced labor, and a total of 158 counts.
South African Judge David Mhango, in his ruling, said that these Malawians “were lured into South Africa and were forced to work indoors under armed guard.”
He pointed out that these individuals were forced to operate machinery, leading to some becoming blind or physically disabled.
In May this year, South African police also rescued 44 Ethiopian nationals, including 17 minors, who were illegally detained in a wealthy community in Johannesburg.
(Translated from Central News Agency)