Between February 2019 and March 2021 one of the three accused allegedly sold her daughter, who suffers from Down syndrome and was 11 years old at the time, and another girl who was then aged 13, to her co-accused two men for sexual exploitation.
Cape Town – The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) has arrested three suspects on charges of human trafficking in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
The two men and a woman are expected to appear in the Keiskamahoek magistrate’s court on Friday, Hawks spokeswoman Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said in a statement on Thursday.
The three were arrested on Wednesday by the East London serious organised crime investigation team and the King William’s Town K9 police dogs unit.
Between February 2019 and March 2021 the woman allegedly sold her daughter, who suffers from Down Syndrome and was 11 years old at the time, and another girl who was then aged 13 to her two co-accused who are shop owners in the Keiskamahoek area for sexual exploitation.
According to the older girl, the minors were sold for R450, Mgolodela said.
In a separate incident, a bogus car salesman has been convicted in the Mthatha specials commercial crime court on charges of vehicle finance fraud.
Sandiso Mgudlwa, 34, was convicted on Wednesday.
Mgolodela said the Hawks’ Mthatha serious commercial crime investigation team probed the matter after the victim, Msikelelo Kasiphiwo, lodged a complaint.
Mgudlwa is alleged to have taken R66 000 for a vehicle which was never delivered. He then disappeared and refused to take the victim’s calls.
Mgudlwa has since pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced on June 2.
African News Agency (ANA)
