An Ethiopian man accused of kidnapping 12 boys in Johannesburg appeared again in the Booysens magistrate’s court on Friday after the case was postponed on Thursday to allow for an interpreter to be made available.
The 47-year-old, who said he has been in South Africa for 21 years, told the court he is not fluent in English and speaks Amharic — the official language of Ethiopia.
He cannot be named at this stage in case an identity parade becomes necessary.
Magistrate Shumani Vele attempted to explain to the accused his rights on Thursday but decided to postpone the matter after it became clear the man was struggling to understand the proceedings.
“It is a futile exercise we are embarking on because I thought it would be easy for him to understand me while I explained his rights and then postpone the matter. But under the circumstances, it might amount to a miscarriage of justice,” Vele said.
The man’s court appearance follows the rescue of the half-naked teenage boys by Gauteng police and a private security company on Tuesday.
The teenagers, who are foreigners, were found walking in Mulbarton, south of Johannesburg, wearing only their underwear.
Police suspect the boys may be victims of human trafficking, and their rescue led to the arrest of the accused.
The teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, have since been placed in a place of safety.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the teenagers were spotted after a Joburg metro officer on patrol was alerted to a “bizarre scenario unfolding alongside Broad Street”, where a group of eight half-naked boys was seen walking in the area.
Mogale said it was later established that the boys were foreigners who could not speak English.
Officers were also informed that two other boys had already been taken away in a blue VW Jetta.
“The vehicle was later intercepted in the area, but the driver fled, resulting in a high-speed chase that ended in Commissioner Street, with the subsequent arrest of the suspect and the rescue of two half-naked teenagers,” Mogale said.
The man is now facing 12 counts of kidnapping and failure to stop his vehicle when police instructed him to do so.
Mogale said it was too soon to determine whether the man should be charged with human trafficking.
“At this stage we do not know where this man was taking these kids to, and we do not know the origins of these kids ... We are having a challenge because we are unable to speak to them, as most of them do not understand English,” she said.
Mogale said the teenage boys were taken to a doctor to assess whether the ages provided were accurate.
She said investigations were under way.
In May last year, 44 young Ethiopian men were found by police locked inside a Sandton house. At the time, the men were hungry, scared, naked and injured.
In August 2024, 90 undocumented Ethiopians were rescued from a house in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg, where they were being kept against their will and living under inhumane conditions.
In October that year, police said more than 40 Ethiopian nationals were found in a house in Buccleuch, Sandton. However, the group was willingly smuggled into the country for job opportunities.
Sowetan
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.