Child Smugglers Imprisoned

Two cross border courier operators Micah Sebele (37) and Shylock Dube (38) who frequently ferry goods between South Africa and Zimbabwe and through Botswana, were this week sentenced to one year in prison for smuggling seven children aged between six and 12.
The operators commonly referred to as malayitsha, were nabbed by law enforcement officers in sepa-rate incidents in Francistown, on their way back to South Africa. Both men confessed to be smuggling children for the first and at the request of relatives and acquaintances back in South Africa, who wanted to reunite and enjoy the Christmas holidays with their children. Incidents of children being smuggled to South Africa are prevalent during Zimbabwe school breaks.
Appearing before Francistown Magistrate Court, Dube who hails from Tsholotsho and Sebele from Gambo in Zimbabwe, both pleaded guilty. Remorseful, the men asked Principal Magistrate Kabelo Magetse to be lenient by giving them a non- custodial sentence.
“In all years of being a malayitsha l have never smuggled children. This was my first time. I am a family man, with sickly and elderly parents back in Zimbabwe who are dependent on me. If you send me to prison, the lives of my family will be jeopardised”, pleaded Dube, fighting back tears.
The story was not different for Sebele, who was just in his duet year of being in the cross border courier business.
“I seek for forgiveness for breaking the law and for my illegal conduct. Since the day I was arrested and the time I have been in prison, I have learnt a lot. I regret my actions, honestly I was not aware I was breaking the law. It is only my third month of being in the cross border business,” confessed Sebele.
Sentencing the duo, Magistrate Magetse noted that greater Francistown district is significantly affected by cases of illegal entry into Botswana through ungazetted points of entry.
“The criminal justice system must take decisive action to address this issue and deter such transgres-sions. While maintaining an understanding of the challenges faced by neighbouring countries, it is crucial to communicate a firm message to the region: acts of unlawfulness or cross border violations will not be tolerated in Botswana”, noted Magetse.
With regards to issuing a fine, the Magistrate said, “a fine in response to such a grave crime would amount to a tacit validation of the smuggling enterprise. Fines are an insufficient deterrent. Such a leni-ent approach effectively reduces the judiciary’s stances on child smuggling to a mere slap on the wrist, undermining efforts to dismantle these organised criminal networks,” charged the Magistrate.