Source: Year sentence for human trafficker – Sunday News Feb 5, 2017
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A HUMAN trafficker from Victoria Falls, who was facing charges of assisting undocumented people from East Africa to illegally enter the country, has been sentenced to 12 months in jail.
Solani Ngwenya (34) of 4002 Chinotimba was arrested at Chinotimba Bus Terminus after helping six illegal immigrants and buying bus tickets for them to travel to Bulawayo on 16 January.
The six are Dek Miyyir Hassan, Abdirahman Ahmed, Abdirahman Azziz Ahmed, Mahad Ahmed Ali, Desta Chika and Reshad Gesbe from Ethiopia and Somalia.
Ngwenya, allegedly well known in the resort town for helping border jumpers into the country and connecting them to their destinations in Botswana and South Africa, initially pleaded not guilty to the charge claiming he was being wrongfully being accused. He however later changed his plea to guilty.
Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje sentenced him to 12 months in jail but suspended four mouths which means Ngwenya will serve an effective eight months.
Prosecuting, Mr Takunda 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.
“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 Ngwenya who was waiting for them on the Zimbabwean side of the river,” said Mr Ndovorwi.
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. The foreigners have since been deported after appearing before the same court.
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