Cape Town - A group of 22 foreign nationals who entered the country illegally and were arrested in Paarl, have been ordered to pay a R1000 admission of guilt fine.
This comes after police discovered the undocumented men, women and children, believed to be Zimbabwean nationals, in a bus trailer when police conducted patrols near the N1 highway last week.
The group, including two drivers, appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of prevention and combating of corrupt activities, and prevention and combating of trafficking in persons, while 15 children are at places of safety.
At the time of their arrest, police officers noticed the people disembarking from a passenger bus near the Sonstraal off-ramp.
When they opened the trailer attached to the bus, they discovered the women and children inside.
Police said a passenger allegedly offered a SAPS member R50 000 in exchange for the passengers’ freedom.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said each individual had to pay R1 000 (R22 000 in total) and their warrants of detention were issued for their deportation.
The 22 people were charged separately from the two drivers, who are in the country legally.
Ntabazalila said the case against the two bus drivers, Aleck Mukwenda and Tellmore Runganga, was postponed until July 24 for a bail application.
Police previously indicated that the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) would further investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, has called for the law to take its course. He previously offered the Hawks assistance to facilitate prompt and fruitful prosecution.
“When you have that horrific image of people in a trailer, you have to ask yourself immediately who are the victims in the story and who are the perpetrators. We hope that the investigation will lead to its proper outcome,” Schreiber said.
Cape Argus