In a major human trafficking case, a court in Johannesburg sentenced seven Chinese citizens to 20 years in prison each.
They were found guilty of trafficking 91 undocumented Malawian workers and forcing them to work in a cotton factory in Village Deep, Johannesburg, from 2017 to 2019.
The victims endured 11-hour shifts every day, with no training or safety gear, and lived under strict control in a facility secured with razor wire and armed guards. The group was arrested in 2019 after a police raid and convicted in February this year.
Despite calls for life sentences, the court handed down 20-year terms to all seven for violating immigration, labor, and trafficking laws.
