Cape Town — Eight Mozambican boys were reportedly rescued from a factory owned by a Chinese national in Nigel, Gauteng, that was employing children and undocumented foreigners in January.
The department opened a case of child labour, poor working conditions and employing undocumented minors against the owner of the electrical supply company in Nigel. The boys, aged between 12 and 7, were placed in the Mary Moodley Child and Youth Care Centre in Benoni.
The boys came to South Africa on 15 January along with 14 other boys from their village. They told the social workers that they were being recruited for work in Johannesburg.
“The driver of the taxi was reported to have come from the same village and asked young men and families who were interested in working in Johannesburg. He informed the recruits and family members that there was no need for passports or documents,” spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, said.
Eight undocumented Mozambican boys (12-17) rescued from Chinese factory in SA, Nigel
I wonder what wil happen to the factory owner?
— MADUMETŠA (@TeffuJoy) May 9, 2024
The Mozambican boys said they found other children inside the minibus, with iPhones and wearing expensive shoes, who convinced them to join them in the taxi.
The Children’s Centre in Nigel gave the department permission to release the boys from centre to repatriate them and hand them over to their counterparts in Mozambique.
The social workers in Mozambique will then reunify the children with their parents. The boys gave an insight into their working and living conditions, stating that everything allegedly promised to them was a lie.
“It is not like we are starving where we are coming from. Our intention was to work while studying, and we were going to buy ourselves Air Force sneakers and iPhones. To our surprise, they locked us in a hall where we worked day and night. Instead, they paid us R75 a day, and would open for us only on Sunday to buy food and toiletries.” the boy said.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Pixabay
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
