Ethiopians accused of kidnapping countrymen appear in S.Africa court

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Ethiopians accused of kidnapping countrymen appear in S.Africa court

8:51 CAT | 08 Aug 2024

FILE - Johannesburg Magistrates Court. [File photo:@Mag_Matter/X]

Two Ethiopians have appeared in a South African court on accusations of kidnapping and extortion after more than 80 of their countrymen were found locked in a Johannesburg home, the police said on Wednesday.

Adamasu Defar Katiso, 19, and Urkoto Muwrte, 37, were arrested on Saturday after police broke into a house in the northeastern suburb of Sandringham looking for a kidnap victim.

They found dozens of undocumented Ethiopians locked inside including the man who was being held for a 500,000-rand (nearly $27,200, 24,885-euro) ransom.

“They were kept in inhumane conditions without adequate food and ablution facilities,” police spokesman Lloyd Ramovha told AFP.

Authorities said the group was being interviewed with the assistance of the Ethiopian embassy including for translation.

“Seven of them are believed to be minors and they are being kept at a separate facility where they are also undergoing assessments,” Ramovha said.

Katiso and Muwrte, who are also undocumented, appeared before a Johannesburg court on Tuesday.

The case was postponed pending further investigation, police said, adding the suspects may yet face further charges of human trafficking. Those rescued might also be charged with contravening immigration rules, they said.

Police initially said 90 Ethiopians were part of the group but later revised the number down.

Despite South Africa’s lacklustre economic growth, as the continent’s most industrialised nation, it attracts millions of migrants, mainly from other African countries.

Many come from Malawi, Lesotho and the Horn of Africa, but most are from Zimbabwe.

Source: AFP