Zim deports illegal immigrants to Ethiopia, Somalia

Zimbabwe arrest Victoria Falls trafficker, deports East Africans

A Victoria Falls resident Solani Ngwenya, will spend the next year behind bars after he was caught helping  illegal immigrants to travel through Zimbabwe to a neighbouring country.

Ngwenya is allegedly well-known in the town after he helped six border jumpers to enter the country last month.

Ngwenya (34) and resides at House Number 4002, Chinotimba high density suburb in Victoria Falls was arrested at Chinotimba bus terminus after allegedly helping six illegal immigrants and purchasing bus tickets for them to travel to Bulawayo on 16 of last month.

The six are believed to be from Ethiopia and Somalia in which some of the human traffickers are based.

The other traffickers are believed to be based in Zambia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The six appeared in court ahead of Ngwenya’s appearance before the Victoria Falls Magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa, charged with assisting a person to enter Zimbabwe without travel documents.

He however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, arguing that he was never in contact with the six foreigners.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Takunda Ndovorwi, Ngwenya welcomed the six foreigners at the Zambezi River near Gorge Number Six where they were assisted to swim across the river by some unnamed Zambians.

The court further heard that Ngwenya allegedly led them through the wildlife infested bush to the bus terminus where he bought tickets for them to travel to Bulawayo and proceed to their destination, believed to be South Africa.

Police on patrol spotted the six walking as a group and suspected they could be foreigners and monitored them.

The six were asked to produce their identity particulars which they failed and instead implicated Ngwenya as the person who had helped them to the bus terminus, leading to his arrest.

The six foreigners have since been deported to Somalia and Ethiopia.