Accused and Alleged Victims Appear in Court

Gauteng -An Ethiopian national arrested by the Hawks in Johannesburg on Tuesday has appeared before the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on the 9th of January 2025, following an investigation that initially included allegations of human trafficking.

The accused was found to have been harbouring 12 half-naked males and now faces 12 counts of kidnapping as well as one count of failing to stop on police instruction. His court appearance follows a postponement on Wednesday to allow the court to secure the services of an Amharic interpreter. The matter has been postponed to 14 January 2026 to allow the accused to obtain legal representation and for a possible bail application.

Subsequent to his appearance, the 12 individuals were also brought before the same court on charges of being illegally in the country. Their case has been postponed to 15 January 2026 for possible guilty pleas.

A medical assessment has since confirmed that the individuals are not teenagers, as initially reported, but young adult males aged between 22 and 33 years.

All parties have been remanded in custody pending their next court appearances.