Six illegal immigrants from Ethiopia convicted of unlawful entry into Botswana were this Tuesday fined P 1000 each, wholly suspended for three years on condition the six men do not commit the same offence.
Francistown Chief Magistrate Daniel Nkau Court also ordered for the men who are aged between 40 and 19 years to be deported back home.
The six men who were in transit to South Africa in search for jobs were arrested on March 28 this year at a roadblock in Tati siding using locally registered minibus, in the company of three locals and a Ugandan man.
The quartet who was suspected to be transporting and facilitating the safe passage of the Ethiopians, are charged with aiding and baiting the immigrants.
The four being Kenneth Kegakilwe (36) a resident of Bontleng in Gaborone, Koketso Radiporo also 36 who hails from Serowe, female taxi driver Keneilwe Moatswi (43) from Flower town, Kazungula have been granted bail.
However, 43-year-old Abdullah Bakiide, a tailor from Uganda was remanded as his resident permit had expired and was staying in the country illegally.
At the time of arrest, one of the Ethiopian men was in the company of his 14-year-old son who was kept in a safe haven since his father’s incarceration.
Prior to being sentenced, the Ethiopians pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy as they were first offenders and they were not aware it was unlawful to travel from one country to another without a passport.
“I have learnt my lesson from this mistake and I beg to be sent back home. The weather here is also not favourable, its hot as compared to where I am from,” mitigated 40-year-old Bazabih Humbulo.
Humbulo explained that it was his decision to go to South Africa and wasn’t forced “I have relatives working and living there,” he told the court. Humbulo will be deported back home together with his teenage son.
For his part, Ashenef Wombago revealed that middlemen are involved in smuggling them from Ethiopia until they reach.
“I found myself in this situation because there are some guys who were smuggling us from one country to another. They help us to travel from Ethiopia. Everything is a top a secret because people are paid money. I do not know the exact people involved but all I know is that there are people in South Africa who collect money,” disclosed 33-year-old Wombago.
“I was enticed by some people back home that if I want a better life and opportunities South Africa is the best country to go to. I have realised it was the biggest mistake ever for me to join this group which was heading to South Africa. I was tricked,” he regrated.
