Notorious human trafficker arrested

POLICE in Victoria Falls have arrested a man allegedly known in the border town for his notoriety in human trafficking after he helped six border jumpers from East Africa to illegally enter the country.

Solani Ngwenya (34) of 4002 Chinotimba suburb is allegedly linked to a group of human traffickers in countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, DRC and Zambia who assist illegal immigrants from those countries and hand them over to him to facilitate their travel within Zimbabwe down to South Africa.

He was arrested at Chinotimba Bus Terminus after allegedly helping six illegal immigrants and buying bus tickets for them to travel to Bulawayo on 16 January this year. The six are Dek Miyyir Hassan, Abdirahman Ahmed, Abdirahman Azziz Ahmed, Mahad Ahmed Ali, Desta Chika and Reshad Gesbe from Ethiopia and Somalia.

It could not be readily established from which of the two countries each of the six comes from but they have all been deported after appearing in court. Ngwenya appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa charged with assisting a person to enter Zimbabwe without travel documents. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, arguing that he was never in contact with the six foreigners.

"I never bought tickets for six people. I only bought a single ticket," said Ngwenya as he denied the charge.

Ngwenya was remanded in custody to tomorrow when he is expected to defend himself. Prosecuting, Mr Takunda Ndovorwi invited Extra City Bus tout Mr Sibonginkosi Dlamini who told the court that Ngwenya bought six tickets on the day he was arrested.

"He came just after 4am and bought six tickets. I didn't know who he was buying for and I was awakened by a police officer later who asked to search the bus. That is when I saw six people whom they said are illegal immigrants," said Mr Dlamini.

Mr Ndovorwi said Ngwenya welcomed the six foreigners at the Zambezi River near Gorge Number Six where they were assisted to swim across the river by some unnamed Zambians.

The State told the court that on 16 January 2016, six foreigners came into the country in the company of two Zambians who helped them swim across the Zambezi River before handing them over to the accused who was waiting for them on the Zimbabwean side of the river.

The court further heard that Ngwenya allegedly led them through the wild animal-infested bush to the bus rank where he bought tickets for them so they could travel to their destination, believed to be South Africa. Police on patrol spotted the six walking as a group and suspected they could be foreigners and monitored them. The six were asked to produce their identify particulars which they failed to do. They implicated Ngwenya as the person who had helped them to the bus rank, leading to his arrest.