Landmark sentence for human trafficking

Timber-trade entrepreneur Lloyd Mabuza (62) and his co-accused, Violet Chauke (24) were convicted on multiple counts of human trafficking. Mabuza, who had been free while on R70 000 bail, was also found guilty on multiple counts of r ape of the five girls, who were aged between 10 and 16. They were convicted and sentenced by Magistrate Andre Lambrecht in the Graskop court on Friday. Chauke, a Mozambican citizen, was found guilty of human-trafficking for s exual purposes, and handed over to Home Affairs officials for deportation back to Mozambique. She received a sentence of 20 years, suspended for five years, Their landmark sentence marks the culmination of a two-year-long trial that highlights the dark side of human trafficking of under-aged Mozambican nationals to South Africa for s exual exploitation, says the report. It notes the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill was enacted in 2013, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a R100m fine, or both. Lambrecht noted he had taken into account Chauke herself had been a victim of human trafficking. In his summary, Lambrecht said 'the sentence sends out a strong message that trafficking, a new name for slavery, will no longer be tolerated by the courts in SA, or internationally'. Full report on the News24 site